


Oh, How It Is To Be Human

by aplacetoland



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Adventurer Loki, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bottom Loki (Marvel), But here ya go, Eventual Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, I don't know why I wrote this, Inspired by Tarzan, Loki and Thor Are Not Related, M/M, Slow Burn, Slow Burn Thor/Loki, Tarzan! Thor, Thorki - Freeform, Thunderfrost - Freeform, Top Thor (Marvel), tarzan au, wiggles eyebrows
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2019-06-22 07:47:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 32,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15577176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aplacetoland/pseuds/aplacetoland
Summary: Orphaned as an infant within the African wilderness, it is only poetic that Thor is rescued and raised by a grieving mother gorilla after losing her own kin. He becomes part of their family - Or so it seems, until a British expedition enters the Congo River Basin, and Thor starts to believe he's a lot different than originally thought.ORThorki! Tarzan & Jane AU





	1. Where One Belongs

**Author's Note:**

> This work was inspired by lethal-desires' Thorki!Tarzan AU giftset on tumblr. Please, check out their beautiful account.
> 
> http://lethal-desires.tumblr.com/
> 
> I wasn't really sure how to portray the gorillas realistically in the fanfiction, but I really, really wanted to write this. Don't be afraid to leave comments of criticism, if you liked it, or even if you hated it. It's much appreciated to see how I can improve my work. Please enjoy this, I promise it gets more interesting as the chapters go along. :')
> 
> DIRECT LINK TO GIFSET: http://lethal-desires.tumblr.com/post/168729109208/thorki-tarzan-jane-au-for-man-or-beast-i
> 
>  **OTHER PLACES TO REACH ME:**  
>  \- aplacetoland on tumblr  
> 

Hot, extended tongues of fervent flames lapped viciously at the woman’s fair skin – It was her utmost intention to escape from the fire that had just began to damage her and her husband’s ship, the sweltering air outstretching towards the child’s body, of whom Lady Frigga was cradling most preciously against her bosom. It was an attempt to shield her baby’s soft and ever-so-vulnerable epidermis from the heat, the wails of her child muffled by the linen of her dress. She struggled against the increasing, blistering temperature of the air, the wooden frame of the ship nearly capsizing on her way to the lifeboat. She shrieked, groping blindly for the edge of the ship within the dark of the night and the debris of the sputtering hissing and crackling from the wood, which caused the surface of her eyes to cloud and burn. She nearly fell backwards, but a pair of trembling arms caught Frigga, her back falling nothing sort of reckless against her husband’s chest. She gasped, partially for air and mainly out of shock, grateful to feel what strength her husband had left lift her back up to her feet. The large ship was still rocking violently, and the fire around them was not dying down.

“Odin…” Frigga was nearly incapable of speaking, her esophagus tightening, rupturing into a fit of coughs. Her English accent could barely be identified from the pain circling her sore throat.

“The lifeboat!” Lord Odin shouted over the crashing ocean waves against the dying vessel below, his own accent evident. “ _Now!_ ”

Lady Frigga took no time in dragging the figurative weights upon her feet towards her original destination, carefully stepping into the boat, an iron grip on her child. Wide eyes of faith soared towards her husband as he attempted to step into the lifeboat as well. Sweat coated her skin and along her powdered nose and cheeks, pooling down her back and quite possibly soaking the fabric along her crinoline. A small hand reached for Odin’s, and he returned the gesture, extending his fingers to have a bit more support to enter the lifeboat. Frigga’s other hand was still securely pressed against her child’s back, who was still squalling, wrapped up within a plush blanket for extra protection.

The support beam of the lifeboat snapped after giving out due to the flames, only one of Odin’s legs currently within the safety of it. He slipped, his fingertips brushing his wife’s, and before the both of them knew it, they were falling, a sudden cry spilling from Frigga’s plump, lipstick-warped mouth.

 _Down, down, down…_ And into the ocean.

The boat landed with a heavy thud against the choppiness of midnight waves, Frigga sliding off of the wooden board provided as a seat upon the lifeboat, and onto the curvaceously carved floors of it instead. Her breath came out in uneven gusts of air, and she used what little energy she had to push herself onto her knees, and peer over the side of the boat.

Her husband, to her relief, had made it just fine. He swam over to the lifeboat, cotton clothes now a translucent white due to the water, showing a hint of the skin upon his chest and arms through the material. He reached up with both hands, gripping the sides of the boat as he managed to hoist himself up without it overturning.

“Odin,” Frigga cried out in a raspy breath of solace, pushing herself onto the seat of the lifeboat, sliding closer to her husband. Lord Odin was still attempting to catch his breath, but soaked hands slid around his wife and the baby to return the comfort.

“Is he alright?” Odin said, upon finally being able to breath properly. Glancing briefly over towards their once-sturdy ship, the two of them watched as what was left of it sank into the navy darkness of the ocean.

“Yes.” Lady Frigga said softly, pulling her child back from her chest to check if he was alright. A round set of the child’s cerulean owlish pupils were accompanied with saline moisture and a pair of chubby, tear-stained cheeks, but nonetheless, the baby reached up for his mother, the crying soon coming to a halt. Frigga brought him up to her face, nuzzling into her son’s tears, caring little for she was only glad they were alive. “I have him.” The salt of the sea breeze set unruly curls flying independently from Frigga’s once tied-up blonde strands, the ruffles of her dress soaked in sweat and saltwater.

“Let’s get us to shore.” Odin said, grunting as he hauled the paddles towards his body, beginning to paddle.

;

The Congo river basin was one of magnificence; The Atlantic Ocean side of the extensive strip of water left many beauties for the naked eye, with an all-inclusive wash-up of clean beaches and sedimentary, the aspects of jungle life coming into play. The wet warmth of tangled vegetation and dense forest, as beautiful as it was, however, also held many dangers.

Lady Frigga and Lord Odin were unaware of such dangers when their lifeboat landed ashore West Africa, but for now, they needed shelter. It was early morning. Their child was hungry, and if they didn’t get to work soon, they’d be as good as dead.

Frigga stepped out of the boat, the silkiness of her socks and polished shoes’ surfaces now soaked once she entered the shallow water. The baby in her arms cooed, groping the dampened fabric of her dress as Odin brought the boat onto the sand completely. It was a bright and beautiful dawn. Perhaps this place might just be temporarily suitable until they found a safe passage out of the area.

Safe passage was quite far from reach, however. Their boat was much too small to travel in, especially with such vicious waves within storms, and the strength of the ocean in general. They had exited the beach and into the wilderness, through the entwined greenery until a suitable spot was found. It would work, for now. Atop a large tree, curved and almost fit for building, it took a couple of days to build the large treehouse, but they were only interested in keeping their son safe.

Frigga slowly set her baby down into the makeshift crib inside of their treehouse, whom had finally fallen asleep, wrapped in a bundle of blankets and warmth. Odin moved behind her, peering over her shoulder and down into the crib. A small smile appeared on his lips.

“He’ll be alright, won’t he?” She asked, leaning back into her husband.

“Of course.” Odin whispered, kissing her head. “Let’s get some rest. Perhaps we can start building a ship within the morning.”

Such plans, however, were changed. Frigga had awoken terribly ill, the pink of her now-natural lips dehydrated and chapped. Her skin was pale, a ghostly appearance washing her flesh. Odin said he’d be back within a couple of hours when he set foot out of their tree house, promising food, water, and perhaps something that would help Frigga’s illness. He thought little of it, figuring she’d be just fine.

And back into the growth he went. Odin was as cautious as possibly, but a curious personality could always result in thoughtlessness. Gripping tree branches to steady himself, he furthered into the jungle, collecting fruit, and anything that seemed useful. Over time, however, Odin paid little mind to the ever-falling sun, and soon enough was lost within the humidity of the forest’s darkness.

Odin huffed as he finally set foot on flat land, or at least the smoothest landscape he could find. Setting his items down, he knew he’d have to set up camp for the night, for he’d never find his way back now. He built a makeshift tent of leaves, vines and twigs, settling underneath the safety of it, groaning stressfully as his hands came up to paw tiredly at his eyes. He had set up by a curved river bank, moonlight breaking through the trees and illuminating the water. “I’ll be back soon, Frigga. I promise.” He mumbled under his breath.

He could have fallen asleep, if it weren’t for the unnerving sound of wildlife around him. It wasn’t just the chirp of tropical insects, or the calling of nocturnal animals… If anything, Odin couldn’t help but feel as if another presence was around, judging by the deep and occasional huff of air that was most certainly _not_ wind, as well as the slight crunch of leaves and foliage, indicating footsteps.

Odin felt the beat of his heart quicken its pace within his chest, for the footsteps were growing closer, closer, _closer_ … And then they halted, right outside the leafy roof of his tent. He placed his hand over his mouth to prevent the sound of his breathing from traveling, staring wildly up at the vines of his tent. Through the verdure, an obvious bulky figure stood, much larger than man’s.

His hand slid down to the sheath in his belt, slowly pulling out his knife. If he had to defend himself, he most certainly would. He had a wife, and a child to look after.

The shadow shifted, outstretching towards the tent. In an ignorant panic, Odin shouted, sending his foot forward and through the leaves of his shelter. The heel of his boot poked viciously into the creature’s eye, and a sudden roar of pain sent the animal moving backwards. A surge of confidence crawled Odin’s hairy flesh, and he hopped up from his tent, knife at the ready, and – _Oh, no._

The large animal happened to be none other than a gorilla – Obviously male, judging by its figure and alpha-like demeanor. The animal was hooting in a taunting manner, slowly circling Odin, a low growl warning the man to leave. Odin’s eyelids were pulled open wide, moonshine serving for anyone close enough to read terror in Odin’s irises. It was very clear that Odin was trespassing the alpha’s territory, and suddenly, Odin kicked up fresh soil towards the gorilla and turned the other way, dashing towards the darkness of the tropical forest.

The silverback roared, pushing itself onto its two back feet and slamming closed fists into his chest in self-defense. Large, milk-white fangs held strings of saliva, anger howling from his throat before he charged towards Odin. Odin would have made it if he hadn’t been such a fool, tripping over a stray root of a strangler fig tree, falling onto his stomach with a yelp of pain.

A large, muscular hand wrapped around Odin’s shin, the grip most likely crushing the bone in his leg, and he dragged Odin towards him. Odin shrieked loudly, swinging his knife towards the alpha’s face, the sharp object shimmering as it swiped the alpha’s bristles and gnarled skin. The gorilla bellowed as a fresh wound appeared at the side of his cheek, sending both of his large leather fists down into Odin’s chest.

The wind was knocked entirely from Odin’s body, and his vision was growing increasingly blurry, before he felt the pain again. The alpha didn’t halt his fists, and soon, instead of his chest, Odin’s skull served as the target.

Odin did not return to Frigga the next morning.

;

Little had Odin known their treehouse was few miles from where he had made camp. Lady Frigga would have gone searching, but she was much, much too sick. What energy she had left was used to feed her child and change his cloth diaper. She wanted to the best for her child, especially knowing she probably would not make it.

Frigga had died few hours later, facial expression falling neutral as she passed away upon the bed inside of their treehouse.

Although the child was well-fed and fast asleep, it was not much longer after before he had begun to cry. He was calling out for his mother, frustrated little arms trying to unwrap the blanket around his body, wriggling in the crib.

Not far away, a band of gorillas were feasting upon their breakfast, wide, curled fingers pulling apart termite nests for larvae or breaking apart small sections of bamboo to eat. The child’s cries were loud and deprived, and although many of the females within the band paid little mind to the cries, one had certainly heard the wails of attention. This female gorilla specifically had just recently lost her infant to unforgiving predators.

The female hooted softly, pushing herself onto her knuckles. She moved towards the sound, all along the twisted, looping branches and vines. The cries grew nearer, and as she climbed the tree and entered the house, her eyes scanned the area. Breaks in the wood allowed in rays of sunshine, providing some form of light. She was cautious, ready to defend herself if need be… A body caught her sight, an animal she did not recognize, laying upon a mattress of leaves, which served as a mattress covered in cloth and linen.

The gorilla started towards the bed, leaning forward to inhale the scent. The woman upon the bed was no longer alive.

The crying had begun again, and the gorilla’s eyes shot towards the wooden crib. Her feet carried her towards the sound next, and as she finally reached the cradle, large, brown, beady eyes peered down into the small, gated bed.

A much smaller animal, just as hairless as the woman – A child. The gorilla cocked its head, and the baby’s cries came to a halt as his eyes opened, revealing orbs of a beautiful blue. The full, rounded shapes of the baby’s lips curved upwards instead of down, and small, chubby arms extended towards the mother gorilla. The child was cooing happily, squealing in delight as the gorilla leaned forward to sniff him. Her nostrils flared, the facial expression of the gorilla tightening slightly at the unfamiliar scent of corn starch and a freshly wrapped linen cloth diaper.

Small hands were placed on the gorilla’s snout, feeling over the naturally wrinkled black skin, giggling as his thumb entered the gorilla’s large nose. The female huffed, taking a step back. In realization that this hairless animal was much too similar the one she had lost, however, she approached again, bringing her face back into the baby’s crib. Tiny arms still reached up, desperate to be held.

The mother reached into the crib with one of her hands, grasping the foot of the child and lifting it up. He made a sound of surprise, cooing as he was held upside down in front of the gorilla’s face, but the smile was still apparent.

The female gorilla hooted almost delightfully – She wanted to raise this hairless animal, and subconsciously knew she could not leave this child alone to die.

And so she didn’t.

She had started back towards her band, and after finding the child had a hard time of holding onto her back, substituted holding the child in one arm instead. It was harder to move around freely, but she was determined.

As she returned to camp, many other of the female gorillas and their children hooted lovingly, approaching her in curiosity. _Alva has returned_ , they chimed, or at least their symphonic, gentle howls had proved as so.

They halted in their movements, however, when catching sight of the child in Alva’s arms. She sat down upon the growth, looking around at the rest of her family for approval. It was clear they found the hairless animal rather ugly, or at least odd. She hooted in attempt to convince them that he would fit well in their family.

A smaller gorilla, one that was quite young, crawled over to peer into Alva’s arms, tilting his head at the sight of the human baby. He glanced up at Alva, grunting in a questioning manner. _Name?_

Alva’s leathery lips twitched down at her adopted child. She hooted softly back, nuzzling into the child’s face, who shrieked pleasantly. _Thor._ She’d call him Thor.

The sudden grunt of a male gorilla allowed the alpha leader of the band to become discernible as he stepped past the rest of the gorillas. He was curious to see what his family was so very interested in – And to the sight of the child, his features twisted in slight rage. The sounds from his mouth were no where near in similarity to the rest of the gorillas’ lovely whoops. _Not welcome here._ It was clear he did not favor the child.

Alva hooted in return. Her sounds were loud and clear. _I’m keeping him, Volstagg._

The alpha glared with a drooping set of dark eyes, Volstagg’s fists large and tight against the soil below him. The silverback was clearly unhappy. He grunted loudly, before turning to stomp off and finish his meal.

Alva stared back down at Thor with loving eyes. Not welcome here? He’d fit in just fine. She knew that.

;

Small hands reached for the tree branch in attempt to climb. Thor was doing rather well in learning to travel amongst the trees, and it had started to become one of his favorite things to do. After six years of growing up around gorillas, he’d figured by now he could perfect such habits – But it didn’t serve well that his hands were much smaller, with less of a sturdy grip than the other gorillas.

Nearly slipping, he was caught by a large, hairy hand. Thor peered down, grinning widely. _Mother._

Alva rose a brow disapprovingly. It was the, _You know better not to grab that branch,_ kind of look, but it was more teasing than anything.

Thor, whose hair had grown to his shoulders in blonde curls, hopped up to the sturdier branch, sitting down upon it. Not as a human normally would, however – He was crouching, feet aligned with his hands that were grasping the branch, head slightly tilted. He grunted gently. _Was Volstagg looking?_

Even after so much time, the silverback alpha thought very little of Thor. It was in Thor’s best interest to prove that he fit in, even if he did look much different than the rest of the them. He was still a gorilla, anyway, right?

Alva joined Thor, sitting upon the thick branch with a look of patience. She grunted softly. _He’ll understand._ Her eyes moved to the rest of the family, who was a bit ahead. _You’re one of us, Thor._

Thor’s eyebrows furrowed, and he grumbled in return. _I don’t look anything like you._

Alva cocked her head, turning to her adoptive son. She grunted. _Nothing like me?_ She held up her large hands, Thor glancing at her hesitantly. He moved his own smaller ones to press against hers. Alva hooted again. _We both hand hands._ She pulled them away to lift a foot, towards Thor. _Feet._ She continued, which brought a small smile to Thor’s lips. Reaching forward, a curled finger pushed lightly against the tip of his nose. _Noses._ She leaned forward a bit, grunting happily. _Eyes, and ears._ She pulled him close, against her chest, the sound of a beating heart evident. _And a heartbeat._

Thor moved his eyes away, grumbling again. _I wish Volstagg would see that._

Alva looked down at her adoptive son. _It isn’t about seeing._ She grunted gently, _It’s about feeling. He will know soon enough that you are apart of our family. Because you are._

Thor huffed slightly, out of frustration. And again, he began to climb.

;

The wind whipped through long blonde strands of hair as he swung from a vine, releasing his grip to hold onto another one. Thor bellowed cheerily, the wild nature rather blatant as he released the second vine, diving straight for another gorilla – A friend of his, one whom he had grown up with.

The gorilla shrieked as he was tackled, the two of them rolling through the growth and flora. Thor chuckled triumphantly as he pinned the animal down, raising a brow with a confident smirk. He grunted, pushing himself off of the gorilla. _You’re growing weak, Fandral._

Thor had grown quite a bit over the years. He was tall, over six feet, with a muscular build and hair accompanying his face as a slight beard. His hair had grown rather long, wavy along his shoulders and down his back. He crouched next to his friend, head at its usual tilt. He was entirely bare, aside from the blonde hair accompanying his arms, legs, and other sections of his body.

Fandral hooted playfully. _I’ve known you for eighteen years, and you’re still ridiculous._

Thor grinned, teeth shown behind a set of pink lips. He went to speak up once more, ready to respond just as slyly, but a sudden crack in the air startled the both of them. Fandral swiftly hid behind his friend, peering over Thor’s shoulder, eyes directed towards the sound.

It was loud as it came again, similar in comparison to the sound of a tree breaking, falling, but the crash never came. Thor and Fandral had little knowledge that it was a gun, and so as Thor attempted to venture towards the sound, Fandral insisted he didn’t.

Thor pushed him lightly aside and continued forward. _If you’re not going,_ He grunted, _I will._


	2. For It Makes All The Difference

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor starts to learn more about the culture of "man," and less of himself.

“You daft dimbo – I told you not to swing that thing around!”

Voices of an unfamiliar language rang louder within Thor’s ears as he swung closer to the shouting. There were no longer gunshots at this point, but whoever was yelling at each other seemed reasonably angry.

“Sorry—Remind me why you brought me here again?” Another voice called out, just as annoyed. Thor finally reached a break in the trees, remaining hidden and unseen, peering over at the individuals who had been causing such unrest within the jungle.

There were plenty of men around – Standing, oddly in Thor’s eyes, on their own two feet, dressed from neck to toe in linen, cotton, and leather, accompanied by dark shades of blue or red, and even black. Thor leaned forward a bit, squinting around the area. Quite a lot of tents occupied the sandy lot, set up every ten feet or so from each other, along with tables, books, chairs, all items of which Thor did not recognize, laying around the stretch of land. His brows furrowed, pupils settling down onto the two men who had been arguing.

“To _protect_ us.” One man hissed. He had long, luxurious black strands of hair, similar to Thor’s but shorter, just reaching his shoulders. His face was slim, cheekbones evident, with a straight posture and narrowed eyebrows. He was dressed in nearly all black, aside from the white shirt underneath a decorative coat. He was shaking his head. “Not to shoot at whatever moves!”

The other man, the one he had been arguing with, scoffed. “You’re ridiculous, Loki.” He spat. He was just as tall as the other man, but slightly more muscular, with side burns, slight stubble and a bit more hair along his mustache than the rest of his face. His hair was shorter than Loki’s, and much lighter in color.

“Ridiculous? I’m ridiculous, Quill?” Loki growled, shaking his head again.

Thor mimicked the action, shaking his head as well. Why did they do that? And what were they saying?

“Yes, you are. Just as you said, you hired me to protect _you._ So if you’re not going to let me do my job,” Quill squinted his eyes over at Loki, slinging his gun over his shoulder, “Then I’ll take my business elsewhere.”

Loki grumbled in an exhausted manner. He had little time to argue with such a small amount of brain cells. “No. Stay. My father wishes for you to.”

A smirk appeared on Quill’s lips. “Does he?”

“Don’t get so cocky.” Loki said, tone remaining bitter. “Just stop shooting the damn gun. You’re going to scare away the gorillas.”

Thor tilted his head, still trying to get a closer look.

“Perhaps if we managed to find any, we’d be able to move a bit quicker.” Quill murmured with a soft huff.

“Maybe if you’d stop shooting your damn g—” Loki’s words were halted when the tree branch Thor was on snapped, and he slipped, gracefully landing upon the one below. _Wrong branch,_ Thor thought to himself, heedfully starting to back away from the scene, careful not to choose any more limp vines or trees.

“What was that?” Quill said, his gun already pulled out.

“Oh, put that away.” Loki scowled, pushing the barrel of Peter’s rifle down, beginning to approach the trees gradually. “Let me take a look.”

Thor breathed in, backing up through the trees a bit faster, grasping vines in support for his silent exit.

Loki, nonetheless, continued towards and into the jungle. Peter followed curiously behind with his rifle, of course, still out, peering up at the trees, searching for some form of movement. “It could have just been an old branch.” Quill pointed out quietly.

“I doubt that.” Loki said, keeping his voice low, breath steady. His head was tilted up as well, squinting along the wondrous canopies of green. “Go and let Banner know. Perhaps we can take him along our search tomorrow.” He glanced over at Peter. “ _Go._ I’ll be back in a minute.”

Peter grumbled in an infantile manner, but nodded nonetheless, and turned back towards camp. Loki’s eyes averted back to the treetops, hoping, praying for just something – But Thor was staying deathly still, simply admiring Loki from the spot that covered him nearly-entirely in leaves. Loki, finally, after a solid moment, scoffed and mumbled something under his breath, turning to head back to camp. Thor watched him move until he was out of sight, before he took the liberty to swing away with floating thoughts of returning.

;

Fandral grunted in obvious dismay, plopping down onto his bed of undergrowth. _Don’t go back._

Thor huffed. _Why not?_

Fandral started to grow comfortable as the night approached, peering over at his friend. _Danger._ He grunted, before turning amongst his leaves to fall asleep.

Exhaling, Thor moved his eyes away from Fandral and towards the sky. It was quite late, but Thor was going back tomorrow. He didn’t really care what Fandral would think. Why would it matter, anyway? It’s not like they’d _find_ them. Their nests were quite high upon the trees, and it’d be dangerous for anyone to venture up here. It wasn’t impossible, but… Unlikely.

He approached his own nest, to which his mother had already been asleep, laying on his side and curling up. The sight of the black-haired man remained within his mind as he closed his eyes and drifted into slumber.

;

As self-promised, Thor was back the next day. He had gotten ahead of himself and came quite early, just before sunrise. All of the tents were closed shut, the smoke of a firepit within the center of the grounds curling in grey strokes as it faded, clouds above separating and preparing for a clear, blue sky. He was hesitant at first, unsure – But he did end up setting foot onto the campgrounds, the inquisitiveness of his brain getting the best of him. He crawled, knees crouched in each step, and of course, walking as similarly as a gorilla. Once approaching a table littered with books, he leaned forward, sniffing the oak in curiosity. It was all so… new. Different.

His eyebrows furrowed as he peered over the surface of the desk, reaching forward with curled fingers, and grasping one of the books. It was quite heavy, and he had only touched it for a moment, retracting his hand swiftly after he picked it up. It dropped to the floor with a soft thud amongst the ground below, opening up to the first few pages.

Thor grunted quietly, peering down at it. To him, it was simply scribbles, though he never lost interest. He turned, ready to venture the rest of the grounds, but froze entirely when he realized he was currently being watched.

The man with the black hair stood, his feet and eyes just as immobile, blinking in slight surprise. Loki’s eyebrows were raised, and he was in much less formal clothing than yesterday, a simple cotton shirt and tan pants. He was entirely unsure of what to think of the situation in front of him, because… _What the actual fuck?_

There was a naked, primitive man in his camp. Sniffing books.

Thor’s eyes were wide, and he took a slight step back.

Loki squinted, never moving from his place. “Who are you?” He asked, as if he were expecting a reply.

Thor remained silent, still in position – His knuckles were curved, pressed against the ground, as he always walked like that.

“I guess a better-phrased question would be _what_ are you?” He said, taking a step towards the wild man.

Thor was not afraid of him – If anything, he wanted to know more. But his instincts kicked in, and before he knew it, he was running off, Loki calling after him to stay. He dashed into the trees and up into the branches, once more hiding himself along the spiraled vines and growth, peering back down at the man.

“What’s all the ruckus about?” An unfamiliar voice reproached, and Thor gazed through the leaves to see another man – Older than Loki, with more wrinkles, shorter hair, though he did hold similar facial features to the man.

“Father.” Loki exhaled breathlessly, approaching the other man. “You should have seen—”

“Why are you shouting like that at this hour? You know better than that.” He scolded.

“Yes, of course, father, but if you would just listen—"

“What? What could _possibly_ be so important?” He rose a brow, though his expression turned just slightly hopeful. “Did you see one?”

“No.” Loki replied, and his father’s look of disappointment returned. “But I did see something else—A man.”

“A man?” He cocked an eyebrow.

“Yes. A wild man.” Loki said swiftly, reaching out to grab one of the books off of the table, and a piece of charcoal. He began to draw, Thor observing them from above. “Long hair, and—And he was crouching! He crawled, moved around, by crouching.” Loki chuckled, showing his father the sketch.

His father squinted. “I bring you all of the way out here to do _research._ ” He said lowly.

Loki’s smile fell slightly. “But, father—”

“And you allow my time to be wasted by such fantasies. We’re here for the gorillas. Not ‘wild men’.” He said, and without another word, turned to enter his tent.

Loki watched in silence for a moment, before he sighed, tossed the book back onto the table, and ran his hands into his hair.

Thor slid down to get a closer look at more specifically the sketch, but was in fear of getting noticed again – Instead, he stayed afar, and left few hours later, for no amount of hunger could be ignored.

;

Thor stared down at the fruit in his hands of which he had been eating rather slowly. The rest of the band were eating as well, an occasional grunt passing from one to another, but otherwise, silence. It was usually this way, although over time of simply just sitting there, Thor started to grow impatient. He grunted gently to his mother, as if to say, _I’ll be back,_ before taking ahold of a vine and slipping away from their nest.

He would be back, of course, and he wasn’t sure when – He wasn’t quite sure what he was searching for, either, but a small part of him hoped to see the men, or man. The black-haired man, specifically. Thor was unsure of what else to call him, unfamiliar entirely with their tongue.

He slid off of a vine and onto the lush, green soil below, situating himself amongst a line of trees that were overgrown with moss, leaves and vines. They had grown along a river bank, Thor squatting by an older, flowering dogwood tree, the joints of his fingers bent and pressed into the dampened earth.

It was silent for a moment, however, Thor suddenly felt alert – His head turned slightly towards the heightening sounds, his eyelids squinted a bit, listening.

“A wild man? You’re bonkers.”

Thor moved swiftly into the shadows of the tall trees, footsteps becoming more evident, as were the voices.

“Would you quit saying that?” Loki snapped slightly, coming into view – He, Quill and another man had stopped at the edge of the river, his eyes moving around in an agog manner. “I saw him. I’m not going to explain it to you again.”

“Loki, as much as I’d like to believe you, it’s highly unlikely a wild man would reside in these parts.” The shorter, healthily pudgy man spoke up. He had black curls and glasses, dressed in a button-up safari jacket and pants.

“Banner, I’m not interested in listening to your negativity right now. Just… keep searching.” Loki murmured.

“I thought we were supposed to be looking for gorillas.” Peter complained, starting away from the river bank.

Banner was following after, presumably feeling safer with a man who had a weapon. “Me, too.”

“Well, we’re searching for both now.” Loki said, his back turned from Quill and Banner, who had assumed they were following him. He was still scoping the area, and by the time Peter and Bruce had disappeared into the trees, Loki acknowledged the slight shift of leaves from the dogwood tree aside, peering through the branches slick with flowers.

Thor remained still again, but the tree didn’t serve as much as a hiding place compared to the leaves above.

“There you are.” Loki said quietly, as if not to startle the wild man. “I scared you off earlier, didn’t I?” He said, taking a step towards the floral tree.

Thor grunted slightly, his crouching position remaining as he stepped out and away from the tree, revealing himself once more. Thor was still very, very naked – And Loki did his best to keep his eyes away from the exposed groin.

The smile returned to Loki’s lips, pulling at the corner of his mouth. “See? I’m not crazy.” He chuckled, slowly moving to kneel. “Do you have a name?” He asked, though he figured that the undomesticated man most likely wouldn’t understand.

Thor blinked, tilting his head, slowly beginning to approach.

Loki reached out slowly, and Thor flinched, taking a step back.

“No, no—It’s alright.” Loki promised, his voice falling lighter, and considerate. “I won’t hurt you.” He said. His outstretched hand remained towards Thor, curving underhand as if it seem unthreatening.

Thor neared Loki with conspicuous dubiousness, but nonetheless finally approached. He leaned forward, inhaling the earthy aroma of Loki’s hand. After a moment of growing a bit more comfortable, Thor started to inspect Loki’s characteristics, clothing, and body language. Thick eyebrows furrowed, and he reached forward, gently tugging at Loki’s leather boot.

“Hey, no—You can’t take my boot.” Loki chuckled, trying to pull it away, but Thor managed to get it off. “You’ll have to give that back.”

Thor sniffed it slightly, before tossing it aside, and reaching for Loki’s sock next. Loki pulled his foot back, but Thor reached forward and tugged Loki’s ankle towards him with undeniable strength, pulling off the wool of his sock, now examining his bare foot.

“Okay. Well, you can’t keep my foot.” Loki said, for when Thor was inspecting the curvature of his toes, he pulled them back, moving to put his sock back on. “But thank you. I’m positive I don’t have ringworm now.”

Thor moved uncomfortably close, Loki shifting from his kneeling position to land on his bottom, Thor nearly hovering over Loki. “Okay—Now, now, stay right there.” Loki warned lightly, pressing a hand against Thor’s firm chest just to prevent him from getting any nearer. It served little purpose, however, for Thor moved forward entirely, as if he were observing a scene within Loki’s eyes. Loki swallowed timidly, trying his very, tactful best to keep eyes away from Thor’s naked body, the entire situation itself very awkward. Thor took Loki’s face into his hands, thumb and index finger gripping his jaw, starting to acknowledge the similarities between the two.

Loki pushed Thor’s hand away with nervous laughter. “I don’t suppose I’m that interesting.” He said, Thor starting to grab fistfuls of Loki’s hair and tug him closer. “Ah—” Loki made a slight sound of pain, for Thor clearly didn’t know his own strength. He tried to pry Thor’s hands from his hair, where sections were gripped in Thor’s palm. “Okay. All right, that’s enough now.” He said.

Eventually, Thor released his hand to instead move forward, and press his ear against Loki’s chest. Loki sat uncomfortably motionless for a second, before Thor pulled back, forcing Loki’s own ear against his chest.

Loki grunted, pulling himself away. “Yes, a nice heartbeat you have there. Thank you very much.” He said, backing away just a bit.

Thor blinked down at their hands. He frowned, reaching for Loki’s, and lifting it up. Slowly, he guided his fingers to match Loki’s, their hands aligned entirely. A soft frown appeared upon his lips. Although Loki’s was paler, just slightly smaller, smoother, whilst Thor’s were bigger, calloused and a bit bent… They were the same. _Why am I the same?_ Why didn’t he look like his family?

Loki glanced at their hands, and slowly over to Thor.

Thor pulled his hand back, backing away from Loki entirely, and placing himself back into his crouch. His thumb jammed against his own chest. “Thor.”

The civilized man’s eyes flickered slightly when Thor introduced himself. “You _do_ speak.” He grinned, laughing gently.

“You— _do_ … speak.” Thor mimicked, pointing towards Loki. _Was that his name?_

“Huh? Oh, no.” He chuckled, pushing himself onto his knees. He pointed towards Thor. “Thor.” He said, slowly pointing back to himself. “Loki.” And back to Thor, “Thor,” and back to himself, “Loki.”

Thor’s head tilted once more. “Loki.” He repeated.

Loki nodded. “Good.”

“Good.” Thor repeated, smiling a little bit. He didn’t know what that meant, but judging by the situation, it was a happy term.

“This is magnificent.” Loki sighed contently. “Oh, father will finally understand. You’ll have to come back to camp with me.” He said, standing and grabbing his shoe to put it on. “But first, we’re going to have to cover… Well, _you._ ”

Thor peered up at Loki.

Loki brought the bag he had on his back around his shoulder, opening it up with a slight hum. “I do believe I have something in here…” He started. “Aha.” He said with light enthusiasm, and pulled out a pair of white briefs, boxers that were white – A tie at the top to fasten around the hips, the clothing accompanied by small, folded cuffs that halted just below the knee. “Here.” Loki extended the pair towards Thor.

Thor took the briefs into his grasp, Loki glancing away to give him some privacy. He inhaled the scent of linen, putting his arms through the leg holes.

Loki looked over at him, eyes narrowing. “What—No, you fool. Not like that.” He exhaled, hesitantly approaching him. He snatched the briefs from Thor’s hand, and held them out. “Step in.” Loki said, falsely guiding his own foot into one of the leg holes to provide for Thor an example.

Thor understood after a bit of examination, reluctantly placing both of his legs in. It was odd, standing for the fleeting moment instead of crouching. He stood, slouching, not used to such straight poise. Loki rose the boxers to Thor’s hips, tying the string at his waist for him. Glancing up to Thor, he spoke, “There. That’s better. Now let’s get back to camp.”

Thor returned to his squat, uncomfortable with the cloth suffocating his legs and crotch. He averted his eyes, awaiting more of Loki’s words.

“We have to find Peter and Bruce first.” He said, and for a moment, rolled his eyes. “Traveling with imbeciles is never fun. Although I must admit, Bruce is a genius.” He said, gaze shifting down to Thor. “Well, shall we?” He said, pointing towards the trees. “We need to go. Understand? That way.” He said.

Thor, after a moment, seemed to catch what Loki was saying to him. He smiled again and started towards the trees.

“What? No, no—Where are you g—” Loki’s words were cut off entirely as Thor grasped onto a vine, swinging directly at him, and scooping Loki up into his arms, heading into the direction Loki had pointed.

“No! _No,_ this is _not_ what I had in mind!” He shouted, gripping onto Thor’s muscular shoulders, trying to keep his breath steady let alone stay conscious as Thor swung them through the air from vine to vine.

“The hell was that?” Quill narrowed his eyes to the sound of Loki’s yells, though after a moment, Thor landed in front of Bruce and Peter, the two of them shrieking as Bruce hopped behind Quill, glancing over his shoulder.

Thor set Loki down, who gasped for air, nearly falling. “We could have _walked_.” Loki said with slight bitterness, clearing his throat as he straightened himself up a bit, brushing off his clothes and pointing towards Thor. “This is the wild man.”

Peter blinked. “You mean the one you were blabbering on about?”

Loki grumbled. “Yes.” He turned towards Thor, pointing towards Peter. “Peter,” and then to Banner, “Bruce.”

Thor looked at the two of them, slowly crouching again. He pointed to himself. “Thor.”

Bruce and Peter stared dumbly at him, and then looked over to Loki.

Quill was the first to react. “ _Dude._ ” He chuckled, starting towards Thor, examining the man. “He’s only wearing briefs!. That’s fucking awesome. Where did you find him?” Peter asked, looking along his shoulders, and then at his long hair.

“The riverbank.” Loki said, finally catching his breath. “It’s getting dark. We should head back to camp.” He explained, turning back towards Thor. “Come with us,” Loki said, pointing towards the direction of camp, though he quickly shook his head. “ _No vines._ ” He said, nodding towards the hanging vegetation. “Okay?” He started towards camp, trying to have Thor follow along. Thor was curious as to why vines weren’t an option (judging by Loki’s disagreeing facial features), because it was just so much faster – Nonetheless, he followed along, crawling behind Loki as they moved through the increasingly darkening jungle.

Once they found their way back, Loki guided Thor into the camp, towards his tent. Some of them were lit up by lanterns inside, and others were dark. Many of the campers were asleep by now. Quill and Bruce had gone off to tidy up and rest for the night. “Unfortunately, we have no extra tents, but there’s plenty of room in mine.” Loki explained. Quite truthfully, he simply didn’t want Thor to leave – He had so much to learn about the man, and if he let him swing off and away, he may never see him again. Loki held the tent flap open for him. “Come. We can talk to my father in the morning.” He said.

Thor entered the tent, surveying the shelter. It was relatively sizeable, a small desk aside, along with plenty of books, and a small chalkboard aside, full of statistics. There were two beds, both twin sizes. “I hope this fits your needs.” Loki said, gesturing towards what would be Thor’s bed. “I’m not quite sure what you usually sleep on, so…” He trailed off, brushing hair from his face.

Thor glanced over at Loki, finally understanding. Loki wanted him to _stay_? Tilting his head, Thor pointed towards the entrance of the tent, from where he had entered. He was still crouched, not quite relaxed.

“You want to go?” Loki’s expression softened.

 _Go._ As in, leave? Thor blinked. “Thor go.” He said, shifting a bit. What was that word Loki used earlier? “Loki come.”

Loki laughed lightly. “You want me to come?” He shook his head. “No, Thor. I can’t. I have to stay here.”

Thor frowned. When Loki shook his head, that usually meant bad things. He gave him a look of questioning.

“Why? Because—Because—I don’t know. I want to be up when my father does, and I want to show you to him.” Loki narrowed an eyebrow. “He doesn’t know you exist.”

“Loki come.” Thor said, not quite understanding. He crawled towards Loki, a hand reaching up to grip the man’s.

Loki shook his head. “Thor _stays._ ” Loki pointed towards the ground, as if to indicate what staying meant, though his other hand was occupied by Thor’s warmer one. 

Thor huffed in a dissatisfied manner. Finally, he gave in… Would one night truly manner? He released Loki’s hand, starting towards the beds, and of course, choosing Loki’s to lay on.

“Oh, no, no, no.” Loki stepped towards his bed. “That’s mine.” He said, pointing towards the spare bed. “And _that’s_ yours.”

Thor ignored him, feeling the softness of the bed and poking curiously at the cushiony pillow, kneeling upon the duvet, his weight causing a slight dip from where he was settling upon it.

“Thor.” Loki squinted. “That’s my bed.”

“My bed.” Thor replied, looking up at Loki. He pointed down at the mattress. “ _My bed._ ” He wasn’t really sure what that meant, either.

The raven haired man brought his face into his hands, rubbing over his face. “Fine.” He mumbled in slight exhaustion, turning to head towards the spare bed. Taking a seat as he removed his shoes, it wasn’t long before Thor crawled off of Loki’s bed, and headed towards the spare.

“What are you doing?” Loki said dryly, growing slightly irritated. “You chose my bed, and now you want this one?” He said, Thor already crawling up and onto the spare. Loki stood up again, grabbing his shoes, and making his way to the other side of the tent. He sat himself down onto the mattress, exhaling as he shifted to lay back. At this point, he was starting to grow careless if Thor left at this point. As long as he’d see him again. “Goodnight.” Loki murmured, reaching over to blow out the candle.

About thirty seconds passed, and Loki was ready to doze off – But abruptly had he felt a crushing weight against his body, and his eyelids flew open. Thor had accompanied Loki upon his bed, resting the entirety of his muscular, near-naked body against Loki’s. Thor was much used to the presence of his mother, or another fellow gorilla, when he slept.

Loki groaned. He wasn’t exactly a fan of sharing a bed, or _sharing_ in general. “Thor…” He grumbled.

“Loki.” Thor murmured, burrowing his face into Loki’s soft hair.

“Get… off…” Loki said, trying to push Thor off of him. “This… is… not… your… _bed!_ ” He rasped when he was unable to lift Thor from his body. It wasn’t exactly accepted for any man to lie with another, especially by society, and as much as Loki did hold attraction for other men, he wasn’t interested in anyone else finding that out in the morning.

“My bed.” Thor said in reply, yawning slightly, keeping his nose tucked behind Loki’s ear.

Loki grumbled, trying to wiggle himself out from underneath Thor. “Please get off of me.” He murmured, the wet heat of Thor’s breath serving no beneficial purpose against his ear. He could feel Thor’s body slowly begin to relax, and he knew that meant Thor would be falling asleep. “Thor.” He said, shaking the man above himself slightly. “ _Thor._ ”

“My bed.” Thor said, this time again in a whisper.

Loki groaned, giving one, last final push, and Thor finally budged, catching himself before he was able to fall off of the bed. He sat up, looking down at Loki with a frown.

“Thor…” Loki pulled his own legs to his chest, inhaling slightly. “Different beds, okay?” He pointed to the one they were sitting on. “Loki’s bed.” He pointed towards the other. “Thor’s bed.”

Thor blinked. “Thor’s bed?”

“Yes. That’s your bed over there.” He said, rubbing his eyes. It was hard to see Thor through the darkness, but no one could mistake someone so tall, and perceivably wide. “Okay?”

Thor, after a moment, finally understood what Loki was saying… But why couldn’t they share beds? It could get rather chilly at night sometimes, no matter the tropical characteristics of the forest.

Loki awaited his response, staring at Thor through the darkness. Finally, Thor crawled off of the bed and towards the spare, situating himself upon the mattress. He mimicked Loki’s movements, shifting to lay down, though he curled up a bit on his side.

Loki breathed out. “Goodnight,” He said for the second time, slowly moving to lay down again.

“Good-…night.” Thor said in slight confusion, but nonetheless closed his eyes, and tried to sleep within (and on) his new surroundings.


	3. It's Bound To Take Your Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki is patient - Quill is not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ** Minor things that have been changed: **   
> 
> 
> \- I removed the idea of the loincloth completely. After having a brief conversation with few people, I've decided it's much more realistic that Thor is raised entirely without any item of clothing. If you decide to go back and read, the only scenes you will have to reread are the few paragraphs of their first encounter, and their second encounter at the riverbank, up until they head back to the tent. If you don't, simply know Loki lent to Thor a pair of his briefs to seem more presentable to his fellow crew-mates at camp. I hope this doesn't pose as an inconvenience to anyone. Enjoy the chapter!
> 
> PS. The direct link to the gifset is in the author’s notes in chapter one.

Loki slept peacefully. If anything, when he was to awaken the next morning, he would have felt as if the previous day was a dream, especially with how very peculiar the events were. It was interesting enough he had ventured out on a boat from England with his father and a crew, to arrive at the Congo River Basin in search and hopes of studying gorillas. It’s only that much more bizarre that instead of finding the astounding species, Loki was met with an uncultivated man who wore nothing round the hips ( besides Loki’s boxer briefs now ), biceps of which he was unable to fit within his hands, and acted as a gorilla would. So, if anything, he shouldn’t have been surprised when he was woken up by this man, or more specifically, the armful of fruit that had just been dropped onto his chest.

His eyes flew wide with a start – He was unable to process it for a moment, and his eyelids fell shut again, a near-noiseless groan spilling from the back of his throat and past his lips. Brilliant eyes of blue opened again, and at first, he examined his abdomen, which was now littered with the occasional tropical fruit: Guava, papaya, others fruits he was unable to recognize… And then he turned his head, sleepy eyes settling upon a wide awake, widely grinning Thor, whose unanticipated straight, top row of pearl-lustered teeth shone within the haziness of the tent. He was crouched next to the bed so that only his head and the top stretch of his shoulders could be seen, excitement bright within his pupils as he gazed over at the still-awakening Loki.

Loki blinked in slight shock, though he decided against reacting, and he brought his hands up to his face, wiping the sleep from his eyes. He wasn’t even remotely sure how he was supposed to behave to the wild man dropping a hefty amount of fruit onto him just before sunrise. It must be _nearly_ around the time, judging by the still-somewhat dreamlike glaze over his shelter. “Hello, Thor.” He exhaled, pulling his fingers from his closed eyelids and instead folding them behind his head.

“Loki,” Thor said with slight enthusiasm, picking up one of the papayas, trying to hand it to him.

“Oh, yes, beautiful fruit. Thank you.” Loki said with much less zest, still keeping one hand rested behind his skull as the other reached out to take the fruit. His eyes were half-lidded, for he was still trying to awaken. “I can only wonder how long you’ve been awake.” He said, more to himself, because he knew Thor wouldn’t understand.

“—Awake?” Thor sounded out, tilted his head.

Loki looked over at him. “Yes. _Awake._ As in, no longer asleep. Watch.” He said, yawning slightly, and then he closed his eyes. “Sleep.” He opened his eyes. “Awake.” He closed his eyes again. “Sleep…”

Thor watched eagerly.

Loki opened his eyes again, smiling a bit. “Awake.”

“Awake.” Thor repeated, eyes wide.

Loki chuckled gently, nodding. “Yes. You learn very well. I’ll have to teach you more later on.” He exhaled calmly, staring down and towards the papaya in his hands. Thor reached over, grasping the fruit from Loki’s hands, and tearing it apart rather easily. Slowly, he offered half of it to Loki.

Loki glanced down at the fruit, and back up to Thor. He hesitantly took it, examining the papaya. The jungle certainly served Thor quite well. “Thank you.”

Thor tried to sound out the words. “—Th…Thank.”

Loki sat up a bit, smiling. “Thank you.” He repeated, to assist Thor in his pronunciation.

“Thank… you.” Thor said, avid that he had finally got it.

“Yes. Good.” Loki chuckled, taking a bite of the butter-like, sugary delight. Papayas were _very_ good. He chewed and swallowed before speaking again. “It’s what you say when someone does something nice, or to show… appreciation.” He said, raising the papaya as an example. “Thank you… for the fruit.”

He didn’t quite seem to understand, simply saying a confident, “Good.”

The hint of a smile remained at the corner of Loki’s thin lips, threatening to form fully but not quite yet. “Yes. Very good.” He fumbled with the item in his hands, stare lingering upon Thor. He pulled his knees to his chest, patting the spot in front of him on the bed. “Would you like to sit?”

Thor climbed up onto the mattress, situating himself in front of Loki. He examined Loki’s position, how he sat upon the bed so casually, in comparison to Thor’s hunch. He imitated Loki’s stance, guiding himself to sit his bottom down upon the blanket and move his legs towards his chest.

“Father will be delighted to see you. But it’s probably best I bring him in here rather than take you out of the tent when everyone wakes up. It might be a bit overwhelming, if everyone crowds over you.” Loki explained, teeth sinking into the fruit once more, enjoying the flavor. Thor had already finished his half, juice dripping down his bearded chin.

Loki smiled to himself. He reached aside, towards the small night table, opening up the drawer and pulling out a handkerchief. Setting his fruit down, he turned to Thor, and shifted closer to him upon the bed. “I see you have little care for neatness, hm? What a life to live.” Loki said teasingly and reached forward in attempt to wipe Thor’s face.

Thor moved his head back slightly, scrutinizing the cloth napkin with scorn.

Loki couldn’t help the soft laugh. “Thor,” He said, to catch the man’s attention first, “It’s all right. It’s just a napkin. See?” He said, and as an instance, wiped his own sticky fingers with one side of the handkerchief. “Harmless.”

Thor leaned forward a bit, inquisitive, inspecting it further.

When Loki was sure Thor would remain still, he leisurely reached out. One hand slid to caress the side of Thor’s jaw, while the other worked with the clean side of the cloth, pressing the fabric tissue against his facial hair to remove the sap-like fluid. “There we go.” Loki slowly pulled the handkerchief back, but Thor grasped his free hand before Loki was able to retract it.

Brow rippled, Loki tried to draw his wrist back. Thor wouldn’t budge. As the wild man had done the previous day, he modeled his fingers against Loki’s, still in conjecture towards their homologous traits. Thor recalled, whether his mother was asleep or not, pressing his hand flat against hers in hopes for a more accurate comparison. None of the gorillas, however, were ever as similar to he as Loki was. It frightened him deeply, but he didn’t so much concern. For now, his expression was a façade of curiosity.

“You seem very interested in hands.” Loki said calmly. “Or let alone, comparison.”

Thor’s eyes found Loki’s. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but he struggled vocalizing the concept. It was the most frustrating thing about the entire situation – They wanted to absorb so much knowledge of one another but were unable to verbally. At this moment in particular, Loki felt as if he wanted to show Thor everything about human nature, but at the same time, preserve him from such a monstrosity.

The slight sound of shoes in the sand began a hushed reverberation of men starting work outside of the tent. Loki drew his hand back. “I’ll see if my father is awake.” He said, slipping off of the bed. He turned to Thor, characteristics growing in slight stern, with an obvious hint of friendliness. “Thor will stay, okay?” Loki said, pointing towards the bed. “ _Stay._ ”

Thor reached out for Loki’s arm, grasping it anxiously. “Loki stay.”

Loki glanced down at Thor, who was still sitting upon the bed. He offered him a small smile, placing a hand over Thor’s on his elbow. “I’ll be back. Loki will come back. Okay?” He said, gently tugging Thor’s fingers from his sleeved arm, and he adjusted the cotton shirt on his shoulders. “Thor will stay.” He repeated, slowly inching towards the entrance of the tent. When he was sure Thor would not follow, he slipped out of it, the flap closing behind him.

Thor’s pupils of impatience watched the entryway. _Where did Loki go?_ He felt a sudden sensation of loss, for he felt much better at Loki’s side than alone in an atmosphere he did not recognize. The canvas fold fluttered, and Thor’s face brightened. However, his smile fell immediately, and his eyes had settled upon Peter Quill, the man who was so very excited about him and his ‘briefs’ before. Thor was unsure why. He had mixed emotions about the hunter, for an underlying sense of threat seemed afloat in his personality.

“Thor.” He greeted smugly. “I’m sure you remember me. Peter Quill.”

 _Not Loki,_ Thor grumbled in language he himself was familiar with, glancing away.

“Wow. Loki’s already having you civilized, hm?” Quill rose a brow at his posture, a detestable smirk upon his lips. “I say to hell with that. I’ve noticed a heck of a lot of traits in you, you know?” He started towards the bed. Thor’s irises of azure held caution. Quill noticed after a moment, remaining in place few feet from the mattress. “The way you walk. Grunt about. Loki told me I should wait.” He paused briefly to roll his eyes, his weight favoring one side of his waist as he rested hands upon his hips. “But I don’t see the point.”

Thor watched him with uneasiness. He knew little to nothing of what Quill was saying, but judging by the ambience of the tent, his intentions were ill-mannered and malicious.

“Now, I want you to tell me—”

Quill’s words were cut off entirely when Loki stepped into the shelter with his father. Thor beamed to the sight of him again. “Loki!” He exclaimed gently, thankful to see the other man.

Loki studied Peter with disfavor. “What are you doing in here, Quill?”

“Oh, nothing.” He shrugged carelessly. “Just getting to know our new friend here.”

Loki’s father paid no mind to Quill’s childish manner – Instead, he began to approach Thor with vigilance, as if he would any other animal who could pose a threat. “This is the wild man?” He asked.

“I would watch out, Laufey, he’s dangerous—” Quill started.

“This is Thor.” Loki smiled, moving to join Thor upon the bed. His legs hung off the side, but Thor was still sitting in his previous position, knees pulled up to his body. “And he isn’t dangerous. He’s very kind. He won’t hurt you. Just approach him slowly, father. He can grow frightened.”

Laufey continued to move forward with attentiveness, but paid mind to Loki’s words. Thor didn’t seem very threatening, but neither did many of the animals they studied. “He’s magnificent.” He admitted, Loki glad of the interest in comparison to days before.

Thor, instead of allowing Laufey to further step, crawled off of the bed and got down into his customary, crouching routine, gaze shifting up to the man.

“He’s—He’s almost like…” Laufey began to speak, uncertain of how to describe it.

“A gorilla.” Peter said, raising a brow.

“Yes. Yes, a gorilla.”

“That’s what I was saying.” Quill’s simper returned. “And what I was _also_ saying is that, perhaps since he acts like it, he might’ve have just, I don’t know— Been around them. Is around them now.”

Loki surveyed Peter with distaste. He knew where he was going with it, and he didn’t like it one bit.

“Which means…” Laufey rose a brow towards the hunter.

“He might just be able to lead us to ‘em.”

“No.” Loki disagreed instantaneously. “Thor isn’t to be used like an animal, Quill.”

“But he is one.” Quill squinted.

“He’s human.” Loki spat.

“Acts like an animal to me.”

“Quill may have a point, my son.” Laufey replied.

Loki shook his head swiftly. “It doesn’t matter whether he does or doesn’t. He barely speaks a word of English. I’d rather ask Thor on my own terms, when he truly understands, rather than trespass in what may be his very own home.”

“We’ve been searching for weeks now, Loki. It’s only so much longer until we have to head back home. The others will be expecting us to gather at least some form of research, rather than pounce about like children and play with this wild man. We’re wasting time.” Laufey said, tone stricter.

“I understand, father, just—” Loki exhaled. “Give me some time. Give me some time, and I promise you, we’ll see the gorillas.”

Uncertainly, Laufey gave a curt nod. “Fine. I expect to see them _soon._ ” And with that, he stepped out of tent, Quill following shortly behind.

Loki sighed, slowly turning to Thor. “We have a lot of learning to do, don’t we?”

Thor simply smiled, entirely unaware of what was coming his way.

;

A pair of leathered hands drifted amongst Thor’s scalp in search of bugs, or source of food. She usually discovered little, however, Alva had always found it was an instinct to groom her son, asshe had noticed it had never failed to relax him. She hooted soothingly. _What is troubling you?_

Thor remained quiet, rested within their bed of leaves, which overlooked the rush of an urgent, down-flowing river. His eyes, however, remained upon the stars. Loki had fallen asleep, and so he took it as an opportunity to remain with his band for the night. But... _I think,_ He grunted to start, _I think I will travel alone for a couple of days, mother._

A short, guttural sound from the gorilla and the halt of her fingers in his hair provided the fact that he needn’t look at her face to see expression of concern; It was laced within her voice. _Where will you go?_

 _Not far,_ Thor would hoot softly back to her. _And I will not be gone for long. I promise._

If only promises could permanently be kept.


	4. To Walk - And Then To See

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki starts to teach Thor quite a bit, and Thor finds himself excited to learn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Just a couple of side notes.
> 
> \- In this chapter, I introduce Brunnhilde. If you are unaware of who that is, it is Valkyrie, in Thor: Ragnarok.
> 
> \- Please check out this beautiful gifset that @LokingMontlife has made for me for this fanfiction. It's absolutely stunning. <3 http://lokingmontlife.tumblr.com/post/176820176399/thorki-tarzan-au-tarzanthor-janeloki-thor 
> 
> Enjoy!

_And just where do you think you’re going?_ Volstagg’s ever-booming gravelly howl had barely startled Thor as he prepared his take-off back to the camp, and most significantly, back to Loki. Thor looked behind and over his shoulder, towards the alpha of the band, who had a hardened expression upon his rubbery features. It was the next morning, for Thor had decided to sleep in with his mother last night and return to Loki when he had awaken.

Thor grunted in return, manner calmer. _I’ll be back in a couple of days. I need to travel on my own for a little while, Volstagg._

 _Leaving the tribe, are we?_ Disapproval was evident within the silverback’s growl.

Thor shook his head. _No,_ he hooted back. _I need to figure out more about who I am. Seeing as you find me no where near part of this family, I thought you’d enjoy me leaving._

 _I’m sure wherever you’ve been spending your time has been furthering you from our band rather than allowing the tribe to grow closer._ He huffed. _Such silly things you’ve been wearing upon your body._ Volstagg knew little of humans, but always assumed them to be bad. His encounter with Odin so long ago nailed the idea into his large skull that all human beings were ill-intentioned. He didn’t like that Thor was with them sometimes, either, for he was merely worried about the sake and safety of his band. _Your mother will be worried sick._ Volstagg replied, the anger in his tone somewhat lighter. Thor knew how deeply he cared about Alva.

 _I’ve told her I’ll be gone. And she was fine with it. I’ll be back soon._ And with that, Thor wasted no more time arguing, grasping the nearest vine and swinging from the canopies, in the direction of which he believed the camp to be.

;

“A woman, in the army? You think yourself too confident.” Quill’s voice of irritation rang as Thor neared the campsite, where he spotted Loki outside of his tent, gathered at the table Thor had previously been snuffing out, to which he found was only piled with the musty smell of old books. Around Loki was a shorter woman, with flowing waves of beautiful ebony hair that stretched past her shoulder blades. It was the first human being Thor had set eyes on with darker skin, or let alone the first woman. Quill was loitering around them, Bruce searching calmly along one of the frayed pages of an encyclopedia. Thor was listening from the treetops, unsure if he should approach.

Loki glanced between Quill and the woman. He was ready to defend her, but she spoke up instead.

“And why is that? Because I’m a woman?” She said, leaning her back against the wooden table, running her hands down her back and legs to fix her dress. It was clear she hated the damned thing.

“May I remind you how obviously _tolerant_ we’ve been towards your kind.” Peter squinted.

“My kind?” She rose a brow. “And what is ‘my kind?’”

“Well, you’re obviously from around these parts, aren’t you?” Peter questioned ignorantly.

She stared at him solidly for a moment, baffled by his stupidity. “I’m of Latin American descent, arsehole. I was _born_ in Great Britain.” She scoffed, turning to Loki. “Where did you find this babbling dildo?”

Loki exhaled. “Father did. Don’t let him get to you, Brunnhilde. I learn to tune him out.”

Bruce watched awkwardly aside, turning back to his book. He never liked to get involved.

“I’m just saying… She’s going to have a hell of a time sneaking into the Royal Garrison Regiment. I mean, really? The British Army? It’s for men only. And with _that_ body—” Quill’s words were halted when a fist connected with the center of his nose, sending him back with a pathetic cry.

Brunnhilde barely shook out her hand, smiling bitterly. “Speak to me like that again, and you’ll be sleeping with the crocodiles.”

Peter glared at her with aversion, holding his nose. “And you—”

“Loki!” Thor called enthusiastically. He released his grip upon the vine as he swung forward, landing next to his newfound friend, beaming as he squatted in the sand.

“Ah! Thor. Brunnhilde, this is who I was telling you about.” Loki smiled as Thor landed.

Brunnhilde’s eyes moved towards Thor with obvious confusion. “I thought you were joking.”

“What? No.” Loki shook his head. He turned towards the wild man. “I’m glad you came back. We were starting to worry.”

Thor moved forward slightly, pointing towards himself. “Thor.” He greeted Brunnhilde.

She slowly knelt down, resting her knees in the sand to be within eyelevel, which were wrapped within the cotton length of her dress, anyhow. She cared little of ruining it. “Hello, Thor.” She greeted, holding out a hand to shake.

Loki stepped forward, slowly kneeling next to Thor. “Thor… This is Brunnhilde. She’s an expert on wildlife and animals, probably more so than I am.” He said, grasping Thor’s wrist gently to lift his hand as a way to coax Thor to shake hers. “Go ahead. Shake her hand.” Loki encouraged.

Thor, confused, instead grabbed one of Brunnhilde’s fingers.

“No— Not like that.” Loki exhaled, but smiled nonetheless. He shook Brunnhilde’s hand as an example. “See? Like that. Try again.”

Brunnhilde reached out once more, head tilted. Thor extended his fingers and slowly shook her hand, a smile appearing on his lips.

“Does he know any English?” She asked curiously, moving to stand.

“Very, very little.” Loki said. “I plan to teach him, however. I feel as if he has so much to tell me. I can see it is in eyes.”

“Blah, blah, _‘oh, his beautiful eyes, so much to tell me.’_ Yeah, like where the gorillas are.” Peter said sleazily. “Laufey’s already impatient, and he’ll want to know where they are soon.”

Loki ignored him. “Let’s get to work, shall we?”

;

Loki tugged off the black vest that hung upon his shoulders, placing it neatly around the backrest of the wooden desk chair, leaving him in a simple cotton dress shirt. They were back inside of their tent, away from the unwanted attention of other campers, though Loki found the humidity was never very comfortable around his skin. He had put away his blazer the first day he had arrived, for it was much too hot for any heavy clothing. He relied upon the blankets of his bed at night, which usually worked fine due to crisp air at night. He ran a couple of narrow digits through his sable semi-curls, before pulling out the chair he had just placed his jacket on and dragging another one over for Thor to sit next to him. He glanced over at the man, who was inspecting the unlit candle by Loki’s bed side table.

“Come over here, Thor.” Loki called gently, moving to take a seat. Three or four books were placed upon the desk, Loki pulling one of them in front of him and opening up to the first couple of pages. _The Modern Language of English,_ was its title, which sat idly in small, printed ink at the corner of every other page.

Thor decided he would examine the candle later, approaching the furniture almost cautiously. He moved onto the seat, still crouched, but after viewing Loki’s position, copied his orientation within the chair, letting his legs rest in front of him as his feet touched the floor. His pupils surveyed Loki, finding the man’s eyes to earn some form of confirmation that he was sitting correctly.

Loki smiled. “Very good. Let’s get started.” He said. He pulled forward another book, which seemed less complex than the first. The title read, _English For The Beginner._ He opened up to the first lesson, Thor leaning forward in his seat to get a better look. None of this meant anything to him, but it would, soon enough. “Let’s begin with the vowels.”

And they did. They studied for hours, Thor never losing interest, never quite wanting to stop. At one point, Bruce had stopped in with lunch, bringing two plates of peanut-and-apple-butter sandwiches, as well as two cups of tea, and a tea-pot in case they wished for more. Loki thanked Bruce before he exited, placing a bookmark upon the page they were studying, and closing the hardcover shut. He pushed it aside, offering Thor his plate. “It’s peanut butter, and apple butter. I do believe the apple butter is from Belgium. Very good.” He said.

Thor took the plate, investigating the white-bread sandwiches, which were cut neatly into halves as triangles. They smelled sweet, and tart, and Thor’s mouth watered in the slightest at the new, wonderful aroma. Whilst Loki was consuming his sandwich gradually, Thor shoved the entire half into his mouth, chewing greedily, and gratefully. A flush of satisfaction and warmth flooded his taste buds, for he could go for about seven more of these sandwiches. 

“You must have been hungry.” Loki chuckled. “Chew slowly, Thor. You don’t want your food to come back up.”

After downing his tea and eating the other half in a much more unhurried pace (which was one of the most wonderful things Thor’s ever tasted), they returned to their session. That afternoon, they had roasted pork for dinner, sitting around the warmth of the fire as the chilliness of the night settled in. Thor sat next to Loki, close but not noticeably against him, while they enjoyed their pork loin and vegetables. Thor decided that _that_ was the best thing he’s ever tasted, but little did he know everything in the future he was to taste would probably be amazing.

They carried on like that for quite a while. They’d sit inside the tent, or sometimes in locations that Thor would show Loki. There was one beautiful area, above a grassy clifftop that overlooked the ocean, with a large, curved tree providing a shady spot for them to study. Loki would have to pack lunch, and although the first time Thor had ever so graciously taken them there without asking Loki ( Loki had dropped the basket when Thor was swinging them carelessly towards the cliff on a vine, which resulted in them having to search about an hour or two for the books, their fruit and their tea ), they had walked there from then on, Loki draping a quilt within the cool area underneath the newly grown ebony bark and leeaves. They’d head back around sunset, sit around the fire, while some of the men drunkenly sang or told jokes of which Thor couldn’t comprehend. Thor would catch a couple of words, repeat them mentally, and remind himself to ask Loki later what they’d mean. Nonetheless, those were some of the moments Thor felt best.

The orange flames of the campfire would cast a friendly glow upon Loki’s features, allowing his already-apparent cheekbones to grow prominent, and his smile to seem brighter. Loki would grin, presumably laughing at one of the other’s humorous comments, to which Thor wouldn’t understand, but he’d smile, anyway, because Loki was smiling. Loki would sometimes catch his eye, his facial characteristics growing soft, and he’d give Thor a soft pat upon his shoulder before he was drowned back into conversation with his crewmates.

Over time, Thor had begun to give up his crouch, instead settling for what humans normally did: _walk_. At first, it felt odd. Moving around without having to use his hands, figuring out what to do with his arms, or if perhaps he was slouched over too much. Eventually, Thor started wearing clothes, too, borrowing from the extra crates of cotton shirts and pairs of brown pants they had along board. It was much better than Thor crawling around in his briefs, which had at first startled quite a lot of campers.

When Loki was busy with his father or doing other things around camp, Thor would be spending his time with Brunnhilde. Although she was particularly distant at first, she’s learned to be very patient with Thor, and show him different species, photographs, sketches or accounts of them, to which Thor would nod along or mumble words of understanding. He’s been growing increasingly better at the English language, picking up signs and sometimes even catching some of the jokes that they’ve told around the campfire. Sometimes Brunnhilde had started to ask Thor questions about the gorillas, noticing their similarity in nature. Thor wasn’t so advanced as to tell her many details, but whatever he’d get out, he would. And she was respectful. She’d ask Thor if she’d be able to share this information with others – She wouldn’t go to Peter Quill, or even Captain Laufey, but instead bring Thor back to Loki’s tent to tell Loki, and only Loki.

“That’s magnificent, Brun.” Loki would say, the shine within his pupils glimmering in an invigorating manner as he paced his tent, slim fingers tapping his chin in thought, while Brunnhilde would give Thor the occasional smile. Thor wanted to see Loki like this all of the time, especially as opposed to the irritation in his tone around Quill or the smallness of his voice around his duty-centered father.

Thor had lost track of time – He had been with Loki quite a bit, with the humans, that he barely remembered the promise he’d kept towards his mother. He had told her he wouldn’t be gone for long, that he’d be back soon. But convincing Loki for him to leave the campsite for a while wasn’t as easy as it seemed.

“What? No! You can’t go yet.” Loki would insist, slightly irritated, but that was in his nature. He’d remind himself it was Thor, and grow a bit kinder towards him. Loki was used to having to be annoyed... Simply because he was vexed by everyone. “You’re learning so much, Thor, finding out new things about yourself you’ve never really known before.” Loki would say with a smile this time, to which Thor was already persuaded with such a gesture.

“Just stay for a little longer.” Brunnhilde would encourage as well, for she didn’t want to see Thor go – Thor had started to become like a brother to her, or at least very close to one. And then Thor would not, and Loki and Brunnhilde would celebrate in miniature, simultaneous cheers, and Thor would smile along because he truly, truly felt as if he belonged no where else but here, with them, with people who were so very similar to him. Almost too similar.

Thor would return home some time after that, just to check in, just to visit—And although the band travelled around quite a lot, Thor would always find them.

 _I barely recognize you._ Alva would say as her son swung upon the treetops late at night, but instead finding him bare, crouched and more careless, Thor would be on his own two feet until he decided to kneel, fully dressed, in a collar shirt of linen gauze, and a pair of dark brown tweed pants, or anything comfortable. _You haven’t forgotten about us, have you?_

 _Of course not, mother._ Thor would grunt in return, smiling, but such sounds from his lips were starting to grow unfamiliar. He still knew the language like the back of his hand, but he felt as if English laced his lips in better manner. He was almost more comfortable to speak that, instead of the sounds he’s been pressing from his throat his entire life. _I just… I’m confused._

Alva tilted her head. _Of what, my son?_

 _I look just like them._ Thor raised a brow. _They’re hairless. I look like them, but I… don’t look like you._

 _That’s nonsense._ Alva frowned.

 _But it isn’t, mother._ Thor shook his head. _I’m going to go back now. I will visit again soon. When you’re ready to tell the truth, I will stay._ He said, waiting, almost hoping his mother would speak up – But she didn’t, and so Thor said goodbye, grasping the nearest tendril-like vine, pushing himself off of the cliff, and back to camp.


	5. Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laufey's impatience runs thin, but Thor's ideas are more straightforward than one would expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh, hello! I am going to apologize for three things. A) for the shortness of this chapter, B) for the quality of this chapter, and C) for taking so long to write it. I've been so low on muse lately, but I've felt so bad I haven't gotten anything to you guys lately! I just haven't had the energy to write so deeply and passionately for this ship, at least recently - It's most likely due to my busy-ness, and I hope it blows over soon. You guys are extremely supportive towards my writing and this idea, and I couldn't be happier about it. Please enjoy this chapter to the best of your ability, and if you have any ideas, please do share! I apologize in advance if future chapters take a long time to be published. Thank you all so much for your patience. <3

The curled-up position was still no stranger to Thor as he lay there upon the bed, wishing that such a view of the stars was able to be seen through the ceiling of the canvas tent. Loki lay in the other bed, flat on his back, head turned slightly to his right. Thor mentally questioned as to how Loki could sleep in such a position. He himself had tried it, and to Thor, it was certainly uncomfortable.

A soft puff of air pressed from Thor’s lips, and he moved noiselessly to push himself off of the mattress. He needn’t take the covers off of himself – Thor never used them. He briefly glanced over to his mentor and new friend, before turning away and exiting the shelter. He needed air. The stars, the wildlife – Maybe just a break.

It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy spending his time with Loki, and the other humans – Perhaps it was that he was homesick, that he missed the humidity of the oxygen against his bare skin, being able to spend the day lying upon a bed of leaves… Thor would compare his two lifestyles, sometimes. Why did humans have so very much to stress over? Thor felt as if Loki knew just about everything, meanwhile Loki was always itching to learn more. Another thing – Why did humans feel the need to dress from head to toe _all_ of the time? Occasionally, Thor would wake up in the midst of the night and peel his shirt from his chest because of how truly irritating it could be against his shoulders and skin.

The one thing that Thor truly admired about his time with the humans, however, was certainly knowledge. In a way, he understood quite a bit as to why Loki was always absorbing information, with a book in his hand or a journal with pages full, top to bottom, back to front. Thor was rather proud of himself that he was able to hold a full conversation with Brunnhilde the other day about nature – Only to be completely lost when she turned to Loki, babbling on about what Thor had heard to be ‘a significant expedition in which information can be used in a beneficial manner.’

Thor dragged hardened fingers through his golden strands, stepping away from camp and heading in the direction of the riverbank. His entire life had changed there, quite truthfully. If Loki had never seen him, Thor might not have ever built up the courage to greet him again. He was utterly grateful for Loki, and he wasn’t sure exactly what it was… But from what he’s learned, Thor _knows_ that he cares about Loki. Being able to express these feelings in words was something so very beautiful, and frightening at the same time, to acknowledge the fact that Thor could share _anything_ … If he so pleased to.

Reaching the small section of particularly dampened soil, Thor situated himself down beside the river, the water flowing calmly downstream, and towards the open ocean. He pulled his knees up slightly, forearms rested upon his kneecaps, his eyes following the currents of the river. He knew that he had stirred himself awake early but had received enough sleep for it to be reaching dawn. The sun would rise soon and end Thor’s miniature breath of both figurative and literal air from his new world.

Thor shifted a bit, before pushing himself from the ground entirely, and yanking off his shirt. Tossing it carelessly aside, he untied the string of his pants and threw them alongside his shirt. He hadn’t even bothered with wearing shoes to the river, and without a thought had he removed his briefs. Stepping into the water, he welcomed the cold against his legs, before sinking down completely into the river. The water was quiet, and nearly undisturbed ( besides the ripples from Thor’s movement ), and Thor decided at this moment that he had missed this a lot. Exhaling contently, Thor sunk his head below the surface of the water, his entire body submerged, goosebumps not even daring to crawl his skin. He was used to this. The temperature of the river was warm as well, no matter the time of day, and for the first time in weeks, Thor remembered his true roots. _I’m a gorilla,_ he thought to himself, opening his eyes slightly underneath the water, gazing upon the shape of his legs, arms, and body. A slight frown pulled to his lips, and he shut his eyes again. _But I do not look like one._ He surfaced, breathing in air through his nostrils as he opened his eyes once more. Thor knew, deep down inside, that his mother was hiding something. And he’d be an idiot to not guess what it was. He didn’t want to think about it. Thankfully, his thoughts were interrupted when he stared straight ahead, and found his pupils settling warmly upon Loki.

Loki was still fully dressed. Small black boots, with a pair of tan trousers and a white cotton shirt. It was comfortable sleepwear, nonetheless. His hair was tousled, parted in small waves, brushing the curve of his shoulders and back just barely. A smile was upon his lips as he stared right back at Thor, gentleness to his expression. The sun had not risen yet, but pink tickled the horizon, casted upon the underbellies of cumulus clouds. “Gone for an early morning bathe, hm?” He smiled.

“Loki,” Thor greeted, a similar grin appearing on his lips, and he stood from the water, thinking little to none of the consequences. The water only reached his knees, leaving Thor entirely exposed.

Loki tore his eyes away after a moment, face flushed in similarity to the soon-to-be-risen sun, and his breath fell short. “Oh, dear, very naked.” He mumbled under his breath, clearing his throat. “Thor, you, uhm—You haven’t covered yourself.” Loki choked out a nervous laugh, and after a couple of seconds, he glanced over at Thor to see if perhaps he had put on his briefs or had sunk back down into the water – But Thor had done the complete opposite. He had approached Loki, still entirely bare, before he had grasped the man’s wrist, and dragged him towards the river. Loki barely had any time to react before Thor had brought Loki into the water, releasing him.

The water filled the insides of his boots, and as he moved to take a step, one of them slipping from his feet. In attempt to balance himself with the other foot, he fell entirely, back splashing into the water as his clothes became soaked, hair alike. Loki glanced dryly at Thor, who still had a friendly smile upon his lips. God, he couldn’t stay mad at him.

“Oh,” Loki chuckled, slowly moving to stand as he grasped his floating boot, tossing it ashore. He took off his other one, doing the same. “You’re going to pay for this.” He said, tease obvious within his voice.

Thor laughed this time, moving to place his lower half into the water. He sat within the river, the water lapping at his chest, a triumphant smirk upon his lips. “For what?” He asked, raising a playful brow. The two of them had been going at it in such a manner ever since Thor had started to learn of _comical jokes._ “You _smell._ ”

Loki half-feigned offense, and he _hmphed_ gently, turning away, before turning back just as quickly, drenching the already-wet Thor with a splash of obnoxious water.

Thor pursed his lips, eyes squinted.

“Oops.” Loki grinned.

“Me pay? Now you’ll pay.”

“Oh, don’t be silly. Thor, y—” Loki opened his mouth to speak, before Thor had lunged from the water, still very naked with Loki remaining clothed, tackling the man so that he had fallen backwards. He held his breath as the two of them entered the water, and Loki pushed him away, before Loki removed himself from the immersion of river water, chuckling as he could barely manage to stand once more. He gave up, settling on kneeling in the water, and he splashed Thor again. “That wasn’t fair. I wasn’t ready.” He claimed, wiggling himself out of the cotton of his shirt, which was soaked and heavy upon his somewhat slimmer figure. He threw it aside so that it joined his boots upon land. “Now my clothes won’t dry for days. You’re a pain, you know that? A real pain in the arse.” Loki said, although he was beaming, with Thor floating backwards, confidence blatant upon his lips.

Thor shook his head. “That’s Quill.”

Loki laughed again. “You’re not wrong.” He said, though his smile fell slightly. He knew he still had to ask Thor about the gorillas. It was the entire purpose of this expedition, and Loki could tell his father was growing increasingly impatient, Peter constantly over his shoulder, encouraging Laufey to snap at any movement. But Loki was starting to care less of the gorillas, and more about Thor. Sometimes they’d sit for hours when the darkness took over their tent, simply speaking to one another – At least, when Thor had finally learned to form conversation. Loki would doze off as they spoke sometimes, completely unaware of Thor’s slightly, admiring gape. He exhaled, and Thor seemed to notice the change of attitude.

“Loki?” Thor tilted his head, swimming a bit closer, though he kept his distance, five or six feet away from his friend. “What’s… wrong?”

Loki ran a hand through wet raven strands. He shook his head and forced a smile. “Nothing. The sun is rising. We should head back.” He said, stepping out of the water and turning from Thor before the man could get another word out.

;

After Thor dried, he placed on his clothes, while Loki returned with a wet outfit and solemn characteristics. He stepped into the tent to change, hanging his clothes outside to dry, before turning to Thor with a small smile. It wasn’t entirely genuine but held some truth to it. “I’m going to speak to my father. Can you wait here? I won’t be long.”

Thor nodded, and smiled. He stepped into Loki and he’s tent to perhaps spend his time reading, even if Loki would be a short while.

But Loki wasn’t a short while. In fact, he had been about an hour, Thor absorbed within the words of his book before Loki had stepped into their tent, now visibly vexed rather than serious. Thor sat up slightly from where he had been sitting upon the bed, a frown appearing on his facial characteristics. “Loki?”

Loki was pacing, not quite catching Thor’s words, but it was another minute or so before he had glanced up and over to the other. “Father says we’ll be leaving in two days.” He said suddenly, swallowing.

“What?”

“He says that we’ll be leaving this place in two days.” Loki said, pawing anxiously at his eyes. “Unless—”

“Unless what?” Thor asked, perking up. If there was an ‘unless’, Thor would make sure it would be done. He wanted Loki to stay. If anything, he wished deeply for him to. “Loki, unless what?”

Loki was hesitant in his words. “Unless we see a gorilla.”

Thor blinked. That was it? That wasn’t so hard. He could show Loki _one_ gorilla. If anything, his mother would be delighted to meet Loki. “Just one?” Volstagg wouldn’t have to know.

Loki nodded. He never wanted to rush Thor like this, but Thor seemed almost unbothered by his mention.

“So… If Loki sees gorilla, Loki stays?”

Loki couldn’t help the serene smile upon his lips. It was soft, and affectionate, and he wasn’t sure he’s ever met someone so pure as Thor. “Yes. Loki stays.”

Thor smiled, too. “Then Loki will see gorilla.”


	6. And An Even Greater Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both Thor and Loki learn in this chapter - Moreso than they thought they would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I finally mustered the muse to write this! I got a brilliant idea tonight and decided to carry it out. So... Enjoy!

Many things had to be packed and finished in order to leave the island, so it was only fortunate that Thor had made the decision to take Loki to finally see the gorillas, especially before Loki was to leave. Laufey had extended the expedition for a couple of more weeks, for although he wasn’t entirely fond of Thor, he did believe that the man would take Loki to see the gorillas. And if he wouldn’t? They’d place their things into crates, head onto a ship and leave as soon as possible. The boat was to arrive in two days, anyway, and so they’d wait until Laufey was ready to leave.

“Come on. Why is he taking so long?” Peter complained under his breath. He, Laufey, Brunnhilde, Bruce and Thor were waiting outside of Loki’s tent, who had been gathering things inside to take on their journey into the jungle.

“Come along, my son, the day is only so long.” Laufey said, with similar impatience, but surely not as rude.

Loki stepped out in slight shambles, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear, offering them an apologetic smile. It was brief, nonetheless. Peter Quill _always_ tested his patience. “I’m all ready to go now.”

Thor, at first, had been a bit confused as to why so many people had to come along. Truly, he wished only Loki would be with him, as much as he respected Brunnhilde and did hold admiration for Bruce. Laufey and Quill, on the other hand… Thor could most definitely do without them.

It was a little harder to arrive to the spot for the gorillas, since Thor knew that a) they traveled when need be and b) it was high, up within the treetops, basking in the shade of the canopies and safe from predators. Though truthfully, a gorilla did have very few predators…

Thor walked with Loki in their travels, Quill keeping a sharp eye behind while Brunnhilde and Bruce teased one another. Laufey’s expression was neutral, yet somewhere under the stern set of pupils was hopefulness.

“I can’t believe it.” Loki exhaled contently. He was always seemingly relaxed around Thor. “We’re finally going to see the gorillas.”

Thor’s lips twitched into a soft smile, glancing down at Loki. Now that he was mainly on his two feet rather than four, he had taken into account that he was just an inch or so taller than Loki, but not by much. “Yes. Loki will see them.”

“ _We_ will see them.” Loki corrected.

“We will see them.” Thor repeated, nodding. He was glad to see Loki so content. He wished he could see that every day for the rest of his life. He was unsure of how to explain what was happening to him, but every time he laid a simple pair of eyes upon Loki, he felt warm, and at home, no matter where he’s been for most of his days.

Loki glanced behind him. They were a bit farther ahead than the rest of them, but they were keeping up. His eyes moved back to Thor, and Thor looked back at him. In such a moment Loki lost the courage to speak, and simply offered him a smile, before turning his eyes to his feet.

Thor tilted his head as they walked. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“Loki l—You look… You want to say something.”

Loki breathed in a bit. “No, I don’t.”

Thor squinted. “Yes.”

“No, Thor.” Loki shook his head. “I don’t. Really, I was just thinking. It’s nonsense.”

“What’s nonsense?”

“Nonsense? It’s sort of like… It means nothing, you know, it—”

“I know what nonsense is.” Thor pointed out. “I’m asking _what’s nonsense?_ ”

Ah. So Thor wanted to know what was going on inside of his head. No. No, no. Loki wouldn’t let that through so easily.

“The nonsense is that one of your hairs is untidy and I’ve been itching to fix it for the last half hour.” Loki murmured, half-teasing.

Thor was grinning again. “Untidy? _Loki_ is untidy.” He reached up, feeling at where his strands met his scalp. When he found the loose hair Loki must have been talking about, he tucked it back behind his ear.

“Whatever you say, cave-man.” Loki teased again.

“Two-footer.”

Loki feigned a surprised gasp. “That’s very rude, sir. You should watch what comes out of that mouth.”

Thor smiled, averting his gaze. Right now, it felt as if it truly were just he and Loki, alone within the jungle, walking alongside one another and doing what Thor loved most: communicating.

A comfortable silence settled in, but Thor was first to break it. “Loki?”

“Yes, Thor?”

“What was y—What were you thinking about?”

Loki was quiet for a bit of time. “I told you, Thor. The hair.”

“Not the hair.” Thor said disbelievingly.

“That’s all it was.” Loki lied, giving him a slight shrug, his hands tapping at the material of his backpack straps around his shoulders.

“Loki?”

“Yes, Thor?”

“Loki w—You will stay when you see the gorillas?”

Loki chuckled. “Stay?” He rose a brow.

Thor nodded in all seriousness, a set of bright moon-like pupils settling upon Loki’s. “With me.”

Loki felt his mouth dry up and metaphorical cotton was stuffed down his throat. He blinked, clearing his voice and looking away. “You—You want me to stay _here_?”

“Loki said he would _stay_ if he saw gorillas.”

“Well, Thor, that—I can’t stay _forever._ I live in Great Britain, I—That place is home to me. If the research flow is abundant, we could stay perhaps another few weeks, but…” Loki frowned a little bit. He was starting to grow a bit upset himself, just thinking about it. He’d have to watch Thor shrink as they distanced, Loki upon a boat and Thor ashore.

Thor frowned. “Loki lied.”

“I didn’t lie, Thor.” Loki furrowed his eyebrows.

“You lied.”

Loki exhaled, running a single hand against his forehead and over his eyes. Truth be told, by now, Loki thought that Thor would want to come with him, not stay here. He stopped in his tracks, turning towards Thor and allowing the others to catch up in the meantime. “Why don’t you come with me?”

Thor blinked. “With Loki?”

“Yes.” Loki nodded. “Come with me to Great Britain. There’s so many things I want to show you, so many things you must see—So many people you have to meet.”

Thor frowned. Never had the thought of leaving his family crossed his mind. He opened his mouth to speak, but the slight rustle of leaves from above caused his pupils to dart within that direction. The frown remained, but it was no longer directed towards Loki’s words.

“What is that?” Quill asked, a bit too loud and certainly much too obnoxious for Thor’s liking.

Loki hushed him sharply, turning his chin up to look at the trees. He leaned in towards Thor, asking in a soft whisper, “Is that them?”

Thor smiled a little bit. He turned towards Loki, their noses just an inch or so from each other, and he nodded. “We are here.”

Loki’s face had flooded with enthusiasm, and he looked back up at the canopies swiftly, trying to find something, some sort of movement again.

Before Loki was able to turn back to Thor, he was being lifted – He yelped in surprise, for Thor had pulled him against his broad chest, and started climbing the tree. Loki gasped, arms flying around Thor’s neck, gripping into the simple white cotton button-up he was wearing. “Thor, no. No, no, no, we are _not_ doing this!” Loki protested, but Thor kept climbing, and his father, Quill, Brunnhidle and Bruce shrank until they reached the treetops. Their shouts of questioning were garbled at this height, and Loki felt light-headed for a moment, so much so he hadn’t realized how tightly he was holding on to Thor.

The terrain was fairly close to the treetops, offering both branches and small cliffsides bedded with leaves, twigs, and anything else the gorillas used to make their beds. A couple of them had grown startled when Thor climbed up, some running off as Thor finally set Loki down upon the cradling leaves. Thor was unrecognizable at first to them, due to his new demeanor and apparel overall.

Loki’s eyelids were wide, amazement swirling within his irises, and his breath was caught in his throat. The few gorillas that had remained, presumably after acknowledging Thor’s presence, were magnificent. Soulful eyes and large, round leathery expressions, Thor smiled, slowly crouching next to Loki on the bed of leaves. Thor’s eyes scanned the area, and when he spotted his mother, his smile widened. She was relatively close, poking her face out from behind a branch, hooting softly.

Thor moved towards her, grunting. _It is okay, mother. Come. He is a friend._

Loki examined Thor in fascination, listening to their conversation of which he understood none of. And before he knew it, a gorilla emerged from the branches, the one Thor had been communicating with, approaching Loki and Thor with much caution.

Thor turned towards Loki, voice low and gentle. “This is my mother.”

Loki turned towards Thor, as if he were a child who had just been told they could buy candy from a candy shop. “Your mother?”

Thor nodded. He faced the female gorilla. _This is Loki,_ he hooted.

Once she had finally approached, she grunted again, but it was moreover sounds of curiosity.

Loki finally exhaled in realization he had been holding his breath. “She’s beautiful.”

“Alva is her name.” Thor explained, and as Loki moved to kneel, Thor was grateful. It was clear Loki knew how to act around each and every animal, and how to soothe them.

“Alva.” Loki repeated. His hand lifted carefully, and Alva flinched, a slight warning huff exhaling from her enormous nostrils. She took a step back, but Thor protested kindly, explaining to her that Loki meant no harm.

Alva approached once more, inhaling this time, becoming familiar with Loki’s scent. His hand still outstretched, she leaned forward completely, pressing her wet snout against his palm.

Loki laughed, lips parted in awe. So gentle. No man deserved to study such creatures. Loki was beginning to feel selfish for ever disturbing them. “Oh, Thor, she’s magnificent.” Loki said, his expression softening greatly, and he turned to look at his newfound friend. Alva had replaced her snout with her hand, and although they were very similar to Thor’s, she had never seen some smoothness within joints. Loki didn’t mind, his eyes remaining on Thor’s.

Thor beamed. “She is.”

“Thank you, Thor. You have no idea how truly grateful I am. I’d never be here without you.” He said, turning back to Thor’s mother, his smile returning. He didn’t feel like writing anything down, or sketching, or analyzing. He wanted to savor this moment, and to remember it forever. He’d leave it up to his memory to do so at a later time.

Alva hooted positively, and she raised Loki’s arm slightly to sniff it. Loki chuckled, minding not one bit before she let go of his wrist. He remained kneeling, reaching up to run a hand through his black, wavy strands. “Dear lord, I love her. Can I take her home?” He teased.

“Gorillas would be nothing without Alva.” Thor replied. He understood Loki’s tease, however. A smile lingered.

Alva’s eyes moved towards Thor, and she made a slight sound of interest. _Is this your mate?_

Thor’s eyebrows furrowed, and he shook his head.

Alva grunted again. _Well… He’s caring. A good choice._

Thor’s eyes moved to observe Loki again, and Loki looked back at him with an amiable smile. He wasn’t a choice, to Thor. He was all that Thor wanted. He was starting to comprehend these sensations within, of his feelings towards Loki, for Loki. He smiled back.

“What is she saying?” Loki asked.

Thor chuckled. “Not nonsense.”

The positivity of the moment was killed when an irritated, humane grunt came from just below them, and Quill stuck his head through the leaves. Alva could immediately sense that this man was ill-intentioned, and she grunted in slight threat, stepping away from Loki, making way back to behind her branch. Laufey was next to crawl upon the treetops, eyes widening in stupefaction as he caught the brief scene of gorillas once more scurrying away.

“ _Dude_ ,” Quill chuckled. “This is awesome!”

The stir from both the gorillas and the loudness of Peter’s voice had awoken Volstagg. The silverback had been resting before their next migration, and the voices had alarmed him. Swinging down from the branches, he landed upon a rather sturdy one. The first thing he had caught sight of was Thor – Mundane clothing, and hair, tied back in a small ponytail. His brows knitted, and it was next that he had spotted Peter Quill and Laufey, his rage increasingly sprouting. He pushed himself onto his two bottom feet and roared, slamming his fists against his chest before falsely charging towards Quill in attempt to send him away.

Quill shrieked, and he grabbed his gun, fumbling to turn the safety off, though he failed. Volstagg roared again, for he had no interest in attacking the man, but would certainly do so if it came to it. He halted in his warning and huffed distastefully, gradually turning his big, brown eyes of threat towards Thor. He growled in anger. _What is the meaning of this!_

Thor did not flinch to Volstagg’s words. He hooted in return, softer and more understanding than Volstagg. _I only meant to show Loki._ Thor grunted. _None of them mean us any harm._

Volstagg howled, though to Thor it seemed more of a scoff than anything. _You’ve placed your family and friends into danger, and most importantly, your own mother._

Alva shook her head in protest. _He did no such thing, Volstagg, he—_

_You are banished._ Volstagg roared, and turned away.

That, however, had caught Thor entirely off guard. Banished? Thor frowned, and he pushed himself onto his feet, starting towards the alpha. _You can’t banish me._

Volstagg was swift to turn back to Thor, expression fierce. _That man is carrying a weapon. If he was so harmless, why bring it?_

Thor exhaled in frustration. Quill was an idiot, but that would be complicated to explain. _Volstagg…_

_You’re never to show your face again._ Volstagg bellowed aggressively. _Leave now, or I shall force your exit myself._

Thor parted his lips to speak. They felt chapped, and dry, and his head was spinning. He could barely muster a word before Volstagg turned once more and disappeared entirely into the trees. The band was short to follow along, and Alva was visibly more than just broken hearted.

;

The most calming thing about the tents at night was being inside of them – There was a warm, jeweled glow against the blank, beige canvas when Loki lit candles by the bedside table. It was normally when they were preparing for bed, and Loki would sit himself down upon the mattress, pull out his notebook, and sketch, or make notes. Thor would grow curious sometimes and sit next to him. It was only once that Thor had watched Loki do this for the entire night, and Loki had fallen asleep on his sketchbook sometime before dawn, with Thor curled up at the end of Loki’s bed. Ever since then, however, they had slept in separate beds.

This night was most dreadfully chilly. Some nights could drop in temperate, and Loki would throw on his black coat, wrapping it around himself, allowing his sketching and note-taking to be undisturbed. Tonight, Loki had offered his coat to Brunnhilde when they were sitting around the campfire for dinner ( which Thor skipped, and Loki had brought his dinner to eat inside ), and he had decided against sketching. Thor had been silent for most of the trip home, except for explaining briefly and coldly to Loki that he was banished. As in, never to come back.

Loki was situated upon his bed, occasionally glancing over to Thor, who was mindlessly admiring the candle by his bedside table. It was obvious, however, Thor was delved much too deep within his own mind to truly enjoy the sight of it. Shifting a bit, he inhaled, and brought his knees up to his chest. “I’m very sorry, Thor.”

Thor was quiet, though his pupils were adjusted onto his hands instead, indicating that the man had broken from his thoughts. “No.”

Loki tilted his head. “No what?” He asked, tone rather curious.

“Not your fault.” Thor murmured, a bit of a frown pulling at his lips. “Thor’s fault.”

“No.” Loki shook his head. “No, Thor, you can’t possibly blame this upon yourself.”

“My fault.” Thor said this time and grunted in self-vexation, pushing himself up and off of the bed as he began to pace.

Loki shook his head once more. “I should have left you be. You’d be happier, with your mother, with your band.”

“I don’t care.” Thor murmured, still pacing. It was clear he wasn’t going to let Loki take the blame for this.

“You should.” Loki said, eyes following Thor as his pacing seemingly grew quicker, and aggravated. “You should care. The nature of Man is to stick his nose in everyone’s business, and I should have left you be.”

Thor shook his head this time, and he exhaled. As he passed the desk towards the front of the tent, he grabbed one of the books from the surface of it and chucked it out of discontent at the floor. He needed more things to throw.

Loki frowned. “Thor.” He said, slowly beginning to stand.

Thor grunted again and grasped the head of the chair by the desk. Loki flinched as Thor sent it flying down onto the ground, one of the legs snapping off of the seat.

“Thor, _stop._ ” Loki said, fully standing, cautiously approaching him.

Thor felt like screaming, breaking whatever he could, letting out all of this _rage._ It was his fault. He should have never brought any of them along – Even Loki was just fine, how kind and gentle and true he was to his mother, how patient. His eyes squeezed shut, and when he opened them, he was ready to attack the next inanimate object, to throw it at the tent walls and perhaps bring their entire shelter down. However, a pair of slender arms around his shoulders allowed him to halt entirely. Breath was ghosted over the skin on his neck, and it took him a second or two to realize that this presence was Loki.

“It’s okay.” Loki whispered, a hand smoothing up Thor’s back. He was attempting to soothe Thor, and it was certainly working.

Thor stood there, unsure of how to react.

“It’s a hug.” Loki said with a smile, pressing his face against the spot just below Thor’s ear. “You wrap your arms around the other person. Hold them.”

_Hold them._ It sounded a bit odd, but Thor had experienced it first, and he liked it a lot. Slowly, his arms wrapped back around Loki, finding them most suitable down and around Loki’s waist. His eyes squeezed shut, and he burrowed his own face into Loki’s hair, inhaling the scent and finding comfort in doing so.

“A hug.” Thor repeated softly.

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Loki asked benevolently, his fingers continuing to glide along Thor’s spine and back. “Sometimes, it helps others calm down.”

Any evidence of rage was now diminished within Thor, and he pulled Loki up against him entirely, _holding_ him, refusing to let go. Loki enjoyed it quite a bit, for it was rather cold, and Thor’s warmth served great purpose in solving the problem.

After a moment, Loki pulled back – Not entirely, his arms still looped around Thor’s neck, but enough to find his eyes. “Thor…”

“Loki.”

“Will you come home with me?” Loki asked, and a hand slid up, caressing the side of Thor’s bearded face. His thumb brushed over his cheekbone.

Thor smiled a little bit, leaning in to the touch. “Thor will go where Loki goes.” He mumbled. “Loki _is_ Thor’s home."


	7. Well, It's a Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adjusting to his surroundings isn't as easy as Thor presumed.

It took them about a day to pack up their things, remove all of their tents and make sure they had everything they needed before they boarded the ship and set sail for London. Thor had never been on a boat before, or at least not that he recalled, and it took a bit of convincing from Loki and Brunnhilde before they actually got onto the small rowboat that brought them to the ship.

“Come along, Thor.” Loki ushered gently.

When Thor stepped onto the ship, he looked around. Men were still getting things together, tying crates down or bringing them below deck. He seemed a bit frightened at first, everything very new and unfamiliar, and immediately had he wanted to step off of the boat and go back on land. Loki’s presence somewhat soothed him, and while their items were being taken care of, Loki grasped his wrist, and guided him to the back of the boat where the sight of the river basin still quite visible. It would be cold out at sea, and so he had his black overcoat on, with a black vest and a white button-up underneath. Thor had simple cotton clothing on, though he had borrowed one of the men’s coats for the ride. Truthfully, he didn’t need it, but Loki insisted, especially due to the fact that he had no idea as to how easily Thor would be able to catch illness. Loki rested his forearms against the railing. “This time in a couple of weeks, we’ll be in London. Goodness, I can’t wait. You have to meet the Queen. _Everyone_ will be eager to meet you.” Loki smiled, glancing over at Thor.

Thor looked over the basin in slight longing. He knew he had to face and grow accustomed to a new way of life, adapt to civilization rather than the jungle floor, and accept the fact he may as well never see his mother again. He had even thought of Fandral, his dear old friend, who he hadn’t gotten a chance to say goodbye to. Part of him wished he had listened to Fandral, that he had remained parted from human presence, yet the other part…

“Thor.” Loki placed a hand on his forearm, turning in his spot against the railing in attempt to meet the other’s eyes.

Thor turned to Loki and inhaled, before offering a smile. “I am okay.” He said with a nod. “I am—happy.”

“You’re sure?” Loki asked, raising a brow of question.

Thor nodded. “I am sure.”

“Okay.” Loki said, pushing Thor no further. “You do realize you can talk to me whenever you need to.”

Thor tilted his head. “We are talking now.”

Loki chuckled. “Yes, I suppose we are.” He said, squeezing Thor’s forearm gently, before releasing it. “I mean… If anything is ever troubling you… I’m here.”

Thor seemed to get it after a moment, and he nodded. “Thank you.”

Loki turned back to face the Congo once more. The ship’s horn had blared, signaling that they’d be taking off. Although it moved slowly at first, the image of the river basin seemed to disappear all too quickly in Thor’s eyes.

;

The worst thing about the ship was the fact that it had rocked _way too much._ Thor had felt a pounding in his head and the need to empty the contents of his stomach constantly, for no amount of distraction from Loki could really help the sensations.

After a couple of days, however, Thor had started to become used to it. It wasn’t nearly as bad as the first day, although it did leave him unsatisfied at times. He was rather disappointed to find out that they didn’t built fires upon the ship at night, for it was the most significant part of the day for him, being able to sit next to Loki by the warmth of the flames and listen to the laughter of the people around him. There was no laughter at night, however. It was dark underneath the ship, and although Loki would light a lantern by his bedside and occasionally teach Thor of new subjects or words, Thor found it impossible to properly concentrate. Reading the words upon the pages caused headaches at his temples, and they had finally decided to settle for talking at night. Even that, however, was limited, for the walls were thin within the ship and many times they were asked to be quiet so that fellow crewmates could rest. Most of the time, they weren’t asked very nicely.

The day had finally arrived when they reached London. It was rainy that morning, the sky an off-white mixed with streaks of grey, and when Loki had brought Thor up above that morning, it was drizzling. It was also chilly, at least in comparison to the humidity of the Congo River Basin, but Thor didn’t mind the weather all that much. He’d be able to adapt. The harbor was vast, with large buildings in the distance, much bigger than the tents that they had built at camp in Africa. Thor’s eyes were wide in amazement and Loki couldn’t help but admire the expression, his own smile upon his lips as Thor took all of it in – The people, the ships, the docks, the smell, the attire… There was too much to absorb all at once, and so he glanced over at Loki in eagerness.

“Here we are.” Loki grinned. “London. Not as lovely as the Congo, but… It’s a different form of beauty, I guess.”

“Different.” Thor repeated. “I like different.”

Loki’s smile widened a bit. “Then you’ll like it here.”

;

Laufey had paid to have all of their things taken back to their home. Loki had a rather nice house in the heart of London, a simple place amongst the buildings around them, with a balcony that Thor found he could see the entire street when looking below. People were bustling by, horses carrying carts of items or people, women walking by with baskets over their heads, bags in their hands or groceries for their families. They had long dresses that reached their ankles, while men were either in basic material or fancy coats, with scarves that stuck out of the man’s collar as bulbs, hair brushed back and properly cut. Other men were trying to sell fruits, hats, baskets, any items that they wished to.

Loki joined him on the balcony. He had shrugged off his coat, for it was inside, laying upon the back of a chair at his desk.

“A lot of people.” Thor pointed out.

“Yes, London’s a very large place. When you’re ready, perhaps I can take you around the city some time this week. There’s a lot of things I’d like you to see.”

Thor nodded with a small smile. “It smells.”

Loki chuckled. “Yes… Well, the air isn’t as exotic as it was in the Congo. Fresh air is nice, but…”

“What’s that?” Thor questioned, pointing towards a man who held a cigarette to his lips. He was old, slouching in his stool by his miniature fruit market on the street. He seemed rather poor compared to the men and women who passed by.

“That? That’s a cigarette. My father smokes them sometimes. If you light it with fire, you can inhale it.” Loki explained.

Thor’s expression cringed. “Fire?”

“Yes, a small flame. I’ve tried it before. It’s not entirely awful… But I’d rather not have the stench on my clothing.”

Thor blinked. Was it really a custom to humans that they _inhale smoke_? Wouldn’t that only worsen their ability to breathe?

“It’s probably not very wise of you to do so. We’re not really sure how strong your immune system is. We’ll have to take you to a doctor soon.” Loki explained. “I just fear that you might fall much too ill to go on. That’s why it’s best to go.” Loki explained, turning to enter his home.

“Doctor?” Thor asked, following after. They entered through the balcony doors, and back into the master bedroom.

“Yes. He checks your health. Make’s sure you’re all right. Sort of like Bruce.” Loki said. “Bruce is very skilled in medicine and science.”

“I feel okay.” Thor said, moving to sit at the edge of the bed.

Loki chuckled. “I’m glad. But we should still go. I wish not for you to grow sick.” He explained. “For now, let me show you where you’re going to be sleeping.” He said, and Thor stood. Loki guided him into the other room, through the dining room and into a similar room. It didn’t have a balcony, but it had a wide bay window where Thor would be able to admire the street just the same.

Thor tilted his head. “Thor wo—I won’t be sleeping with you?”

Loki’s facial characteristics grew warm and crimson. “With me?”

“In the same room.” Thor explained.

“Oh.” Loki laughed nervously. “Erh—I don’t think both of the beds could fit in the same room.”

“Can I sleep in your bed?” Thor asked, with no hesitance.

“Well, it’s—It’s not entirely proper for two men to sleep with one another.” Loki said with a frown.

Thor sent Loki a questioning look. “Why? Gorillas and I slept together, all the time. It made warmth.”

“It kept us warm.” Loki corrected him, and Thor made a mental note of it. “I know it might seem strange, but… It’s just how things are, Thor.”

“I don’t like it.” Thor said plainly. “And I don’t care.”

Loki laughed. “Thor, most people—”

“I’m not most people.” He said to Loki in return, taking a step towards the man. His arms moved around Loki, pulling him in for a hug, his face burrowing into his curls, which were tied back into a small ponytail behind his head.

Loki exhaled, looping his arms back around Thor’s shoulders. “Thor…”

“I do not want to sleep alone.” Thor mumbled.

Loki’s hand slid up Thor’s back, gripping one of his shoulder blades. “All right.” He said, pausing. “Just for a couple of nights. Okay?”

Thor smiled into Loki’s hair. He nodded, pulling Loki closer if that were possible. _Not entirely proper_? How very odd humans were! Thor was going to have to grow used to a lot of things in London.

;

After everything was unpacked and Loki helped to fold and place all of Thor’s clothes away ( they’d have to buy him some more, seeing as he didn’t have to many, but they’d worry about one thing at a time ), Loki prepared a warm bath for Thor. The both of them needed it, truthfully, but Loki would cleanse his face in the wash basin and start a bath for himself in the morning. Loki poked his head from the bathroom, where Thor was reading a book upon the bed, flipping through the pages slowly and curiously. He placed an occasional mark against the margins of the page, more of a note to look up the words in a dictionary later on.

“Come, Thor.” Loki called gently. “Your bath’s ready.”

Thor folded the corner of the page at the top and set it down onto the blanket, standing up and entering the bathroom. It was steamy, the moisture in the air feeling homely over his skin. To Thor, even briefly, it felt as if he were back in the Congo. At least, if he closed his eyes, for the atmosphere within the room was quite similar to the humidity back at the river basin. Starting to undress in front of Loki, Loki cleared his throat, and moved to exit the room.

“Loki will not bathe with me?” Thor asked with a frown.

Loki glanced at him. “I beg your pardon?”

“You bathed with me in the river. Why not now?”

Loki rubbed the back of his neck. “Well—The river was much larger, Thor. That tub can’t possibly fit the both of us.” He said. This was going to be complicated. As much as Loki did wish to step into that tub, he was _not_ about to. He had to continuously remind himself that if anyone were to find out, his life could quite possibly be put in danger. No one was to know. Not even Thor, as innocent as he was. He feared the words would slip unintentionally from the man’s mouth.

Thor peered into the large container of water, which steamed, the surface of the liquid covered in a film of white heat. “It can.”

Loki puffed a short amount of breath through his nostrils and brought his hands over his face. “I don’t need a bath, Thor.”

“You smell.” Thor replied with slight tease in his tone.

Loki chuckled. He couldn’t help but smile. He could never remain irritated with the other. “Very kind of you.” He said, starting to walk out again, and he paused at the doorway. Thor had removed his shirt and pants, left in boxer briefs only. Thor glanced back at him, almost hopeful that Loki was to join him, but the black-haired man was swift to turn away, close the door behind him and change into attire proper for sleep.

;

Loki was busy straightening up his room and storing his suitcases back into his closet when Thor came out of the bathroom. He turned to greet him, though he choked on his own words and quickly averted his eyes from the blonde, who had stepped out completely naked. “Thor—How many times have I told you? You _must_ have clothes on around other people.”

“Why?” Thor asked, starting to approach Loki. His skin was covered in beads of small droplets of water, some of it dropping from the ends of his long hair.

“It’s just—”

“Proper?” Thor asked, raising a brow.

“Yes.” Loki went into his drawer, handing Thor a pair of briefs without looking. “ _Proper._ ”

Thor smiled a bit. “Proper is boring.” He said, putting on the boxers and tying them at the waist. Loki finally glanced over at him.

“Perhaps.” He replied with a smile. He had changed into a simple shirt and brown pants, crawling into bed with a slight yawn. The balcony doors were closed and locked, the curtains drawn. It was quite late, a bit past the time Loki would normally close his eyes to rest. He brought his legs under the covers and turned on his side, stretching out his long legs and pressing his face into the pillows.

It wasn’t long until Thor joined him. It was rather obvious that he had done so, seeing as Thor was a rather large human being. The mattress dipped, and Thor placed himself directly behind Loki, long arms moving around him. Thor hadn’t put on a shirt or pants, remaining in his briefs – And within seconds, it seems, Thor had drifted off to sleep, nose buried into Loki’s shoulder. For the first time, Loki hadn’t said anything, enjoying the presence for now and closing his eyes to allow slumber to take him as well.


	8. A Pause

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor's chance of illness increases, and Loki tries to do his best to alleviate the pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Just a note... This will be the last time I am going to update for a while. I can try to get in a chapter or so next week, but I am apologizing in advance if I am unable to. Unfortunately, school is starting, and with it disintegrates my free time. The best to you all! I'll update as soon as I can after this. <3

“He seems relatively healthy. All of his vitals appear to be stable as well. Blood pressure and heart rate are normal.” Bruce spoke, resting the back of his hand against Thor’s forehead. “He may be prone to illness soon, however. I don’t suggest taking him around the city. Many cases of foreigners coming to a country that isn’t their own ends up in the visitor’s death.”

Loki exhaled. He had gone straight to Bruce, one of the people he trusted most, in order to help him with Thor. A true doctor’s visit would require some waiting, too many unnecessary questions and a possible hefty bill Loki wished not to pay. He knew that Bruce was knowledgeable towards all sciences combined and seemed to know exactly what he was talking about when checking Thor’s vitals. Loki did, however, promise to take Thor around town. That would have to wait. “So, what do you recommend?”

“Don’t take him around London. He’s bound to catch some form of an illness, whether it be a cold or worse, so the best thing to do is to let it blow over if he’s in bed. Stepping out into London is a one-way ticket to fatality for him.” Bruce said. “I’m glad you came to me. Just… keep him in for a while. You can leave the windows open, let his body adjust gradually, and then maybe we’ll talk about showing him around.” He explained.

Loki turned to Thor, who was sitting atop the edge of the bed. When he found Loki staring at him he smiled, not entirely sure as to what Bruce and Loki were talking about, but he had caught some of it. 

“All right.” Loki finally agreed, and he approached Thor, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get home.”

;

“But town,” Thor complained. They had returned back home, and Thor was sitting upon Loki’s mattress, watching him as he moved around the room, tidying up and doing whatever it is to do before they started their studies.

“I know, Thor.” Loki said patiently, or as patiently as he was able to. “But you need to stay inside. All right? I’ll remain with you for most of it, but I work with my father during most days. Taking these few days off is doing more harm than good for him.” Loki explained, pausing in his actions to face him. “Plus, Bruce said you might catch a cold, or worse. The last thing we want to do is further expose you to illness. I promise, at one point or another I can take you through the city, but it can’t be this week.”

Thor seemed disheartened at Loki’s words. He had been looking forward to seeing the characteristics of London and the people it held, though he figured any time with Loki was suitable enough for him. He had been torn from his thought as Loki placed a hand on Thor’s shoulder.

“It’s all right,” Loki said, and then smiled. “We’ll be all right. Why don’t we start with some lessons?”

Over the past few days, the cold had certainly begun, much faster than either of them anticipated. It started out first when Thor had awoken, his head upon the pillow and Loki’s presence near him within the bed, though he found it awfully complicated to lift his head without it bringing pain to his temples. Thor knew of this – He had experienced headaches before, but, no, not nearly ones as merciless as this one. He shifted it bed and nudged Loki with an exhausted grunt, and from there, the symptoms continued to show.

Later that day Thor found it awfully hard to breathe out of his nose. Loki offered Thor a handkerchief, helped him with blowing his nose or whatever would come out of it, though it wasn’t much use at all. Breathing air from his mouth caused his lips to chap and the constant need of water, and it wasn’t much assistance with the fact that Thor’s throat began to feel quite sore.

The coughing came the next day. Loki had awoken early, before Thor, flipping through books and anything that could help Thor more properly adjust, though was startled when Thor had woken up in a fit of coughs. He had just prepared Thor breakfast, and had tried to help him into the kitchen, though decided against it and brought Thor his tray of breakfast to eat in bed. Thor felt a bit better after eating, but not by much.

“I’ll have to ring Bruce up,” Loki said to Thor. “If you’re not feeling better by tonight, that is.”

Thor had insisted he’d be all right, but nonetheless woke up the next morning feeling infinitely terrible. The soreness of his throat had increased viciously, and his headache did not cease to increase. His mouth felt dry, and Thor found energy solely to drink water, for anything else was harsh down his throat. Bruce had come that morning, and after witnessing the symptoms, gave to Loki some medicine to ease the pain and perhaps lessen the effects.

“This will help,” Bruce said, setting it down onto the desk aside. “Nothing seems too extreme, so it’d be wise to give him that now. If he can, have him eat something. Call me if anything gets worse.”

After Bruce left, Loki gave Thor the medicine. Thor disliked it greatly – The taste of it was foul, and although it did help with the ache in his throat, he still felt as if he were in a never-ending loop of sickness… And it’s been three days.

Loki would do the best he could to help Thor—Bring him a wet rag to wipe the sweat from his forehead or make him a spot of tea to soothe the pain in his throat. Other times, when they were supposed to have lessons, Loki would sit next to Thor on the bed and read to him. Most of the time Thor would nod off, and Loki would sit there, occasionally admiring, though never moving from the mattress in fear of waking him up. Thor needed sleep above all, and some nights were most certainly restless.

It had kept Loki up most days as well. On the mornings he had to attend to his father’s work and studies Thor was not happy, and Loki felt rather bad about leaving him. He had phoned up Brunnhilde to keep him company, which most times Thor was satisfied with. Brunnhilde was like a sister to him, caring for him and making sure he was always all right. She had studied medicine for quite some time, for she longed to be apart of the army, or any part of the military that would take her as a soldier. She wanted to be on the field, and she was doing all that she could to qualify. It was still highly unlikely and prohibited for any woman to become a soldier in combat.

Brunnhilde had gone through a couple of lessons with Thor each time she was with him, showing to him new items of communication or helping him with any questions he had about words, phrases, and the like. It was rather entertaining to show idioms to Thor, a topic Loki was putting off due to the fact that a lot of things went right over Thor’s head.

“Why would anyone cry over spilt milk? It’s… just milk.”

“Cat… But why must he be so curious?”

“Is not everyone under the weather, if weather is up?”

Nonetheless, they got through it, and Brunnhilde managed to explain much.

Thor’s favorite part of the day was when Loki returned home. He would watch as Loki stepped in, greet them both in a slightly out-of-pace way, and after setting his things aside and hanging up his jacket, would thank Brunnhilde for watching over Thor and join them on the bed. Sometimes Brunnhilde would stay for dinner, though most times she headed home, to attend to the duties she had missed because of the days she shared with Thor.

Thor’s sickness had remained as just _sickness_ for a while. Some days, Thor began to feel little energy to step out of bed, and those were the times Loki had skipped work to stay home and watch over Thor. For most of the day Thor would sleep, or sip at his water, ask Loki for little to nothing. It’s what Loki admired most of Thor – He didn’t complain very much and went with the flow. Though Loki figured Thor didn’t know enough to be confident enough in making his own decisions, or at least realizing that everyone him did indeed want to help him.

Nonetheless, when Bruce found time in his schedule to visit, he assured Loki that Thor was taking it quite well, and wasn’t near the verge of death, not at all. He was almost impressed, amazed, for most humans who lacked immunity to diseases were quick to catch illness and die. Bruce had reminded Loki, however, to still watch, for that didn’t mean Thor was _entirely_ immune… His mind was adjusting well, and the mind was a powerful thing… But a body could only go on for so long.

“Here,” Loki said, approaching Thor from the kitchen one day after work. In his hand was a warm bowl of soup, full of vegetables, broth and other ingredients as well. He sat at the edge of the bed, next to where Thor had his back against the pillows, sitting up.

Thor peered into the bowl. “Soup?”

“Yes.” Loki smiled. “You’ll feel better after you eat this. Then you can take your medicine, and I’ll let you rest some more.” He said. Thor agreed in silence and took the bowl into his hands, using the spoon to bring some into his mouth. Loki had found that Thor had adjusted to it all quite well, though he did have to remind Thor at times not to use his hands for certain meals, especially when it was a possibility he’d burn himself. “I’ll have to teach you how to cook one day,” Loki thought aloud, glancing over at Thor, the smile remaining. It was small and soft, admiring, a look that was rare to be given to anyone else. “I must admit, it’s rather entertaining, if you get the hang of it.”

“Your food is good.” Thor murmured, a bit of soup spilling down and into his bearded chin from the corner of his mouth.

Loki chuckled, and he grasped his handkerchief, bringing the cloth against Thor’s jaw to wipe the soup from it. “Perhaps we should give you a shave. Or just a trim. I do like the beard, though it is expected for many men to have a cleanshaven face.” Loki exhaled. “With time. We’ll take… everything slowly.” He said, folding the handkerchief and placing it aside.

“Shave?” Thor questioned.

“Yes. It means to remove hair, in a way. You can shave any part of your body, but most men shave their faces. It’s… more presentable.” Loki said.

Thor placed the spoon back down into the soup bowl and reached up with his free hand to feel at his chin. “Do I have to?”

Loki chuckled. “No, I suppose not. Besides, if we do it and you dislike how you look, it’ll always grow back.”

Thor nodded a little bit. He continued to eat his soup, and Loki pushed himself off of the bed to have Thor’s medicine ready to take.


	9. London

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki finally takes Thor into London, and Thor takes an interest to one or more aspects of the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Gasp!_ A chapter, you say? Only an entire month later, of course - But I finally did it! I worked up the muse, scrounged up some free time on this day off from classes and ( with a little help from Venom ) had the inspiration to write about marvel-related works again! I missed my boys, and truthfully, this was a fun chapter to write. I hope you guys enjoy it. I'll try to write the next chapter much sooner! Thank you to all who are still reading this.

It was one thing when you were able to watch somebody fall asleep. It was another thing, however, to admire them as they did so.

Thor’s long strands of blonde hair would fall down and into his face, sometimes a single one or so grooving into the corner of his mouth as he slept. He would lay on his side, curled up in the slightest, with graceful features and a content expression. Sometimes Loki would even catch him drooling, just a tad, as he dreamed of images Loki could never fathom. He longed to know what was going on inside Thor’s head. What he was thinking of, and how he processed the world around him. An invisible halo of light was constantly hovering above Thor’s head, even as he rested, with hair displayed onto the linen of the pillowcase and the creases of his forehead absent. At least, in Loki’s eyes. There’d be an occasional twitch of his brow, or a soft mumble, but nonetheless, Thor was undisturbed.

Loki had found that, as time passed, he had begun to grow very fond of Thor. Even through his sick phases, where Loki had taught Thor to blow his nose into the handkerchief or cool down a fever, Loki gazed upon Thor with an abundance of esteem. Thor was feeling better now – much better – and the proficiency within his mind only increased as the days had gone by. When Loki wasn’t researching with Brunnhilde or brainstorming side projects with Bruce, he was home. That would leave him plenty of time to teach Thor, to further his knowledge on certain topics, or the English language in general.

But Thor was tired today. Entirely wiped, which, Loki believed, was well expected. They had studied for many hours the night before, the light of day escaping from them as they stayed up and into the unearthly hours of the night, squinting through dim candlelight to be able to read the pages. Loki was the first to fall asleep and the first to wake up, casting an occasional glance to Thor as he worked his morning routine. Loki hadn’t told Thor yet, but today was going to be the day they were to go into town. Quite frankly, Loki wanted Thor to have the full picture of what London was really like, and so he wanted to make Thor’s day as enjoyable as possible. Thor deserved it. No studying today. No, today, they were just going to have fun.

Loki had prepared breakfast – He’d never openly admit it, partially due to his humble nature, but he was an excellent cook. He’d learn at a very young age, especially during the nights where his father would forget to bring home a chicken from the butcher. Over time, Loki had grown distasteful of the constant presence – or the only presence, rather – of bread on his dinner plate. He was an independent child, and he always has been.

This morning, Loki had assembled a breakfast of toast, eggs, and bacon. The eggs were Thor’s favorite, especially due to the fact that Thor had never eaten a cooked egg until he set foot in London – To be truthful, Thor hadn’t eaten _anything_ of the sort, but certain breakfast items seemed to stick out for him.

When Loki was finished setting the table and placing everything on it, he approached Thor, who was still fast asleep in bed. Well… _Their_ bed. Thor’s bed was still unmade and unused, sitting idly in the other room, and quite frankly, Loki hasn’t said much about Thor having to use it. He has his reasons.

Loki paused, studying Thor’s eased characteristics once again, probably for the fifth or sixth time that morning. He shared a smile with himself, before he placed a hand on Thor’s shoulder, squeezing it gently. “Thor,” Loki said softly, as if not to startle him, though it was loud enough for him to wake up. “Time to get up.”

Thor grumbled at first at the hand on his bare shoulder. Although Thor had promised to keep his pants on when he slept ( moreover for the sake of Loki’s definition of ‘normality’, no matter how much the both of them were disappointed at it ), he had found himself most comfortable with his shirt off. His skin was warm and his body was a near self-insulator ( to which Loki took great satisfaction of ), and it wasn’t _entirely_ horrible when Loki found himself wrapped up in one or both of Thor’s heated arms.

“I made breakfast.” Loki said, taking a seat at the edge of the mattress, next to where Thor was laying.

Thor was on his back, and his eyes opened at this, crinkling against the sunlight breaking through the windows, and then landing on Loki after a couples of seconds of pawing the sleep out of them. “Breakfast?”

Loki chuckled, looking down at Thor as he woke himself up. “Yes. Eggs, toast, and bacon.”

Thor yawned a little bit, almost fully awake now, and he kept his eyes on Loki’s. “Okay.” He said, not sitting up quite yet. “Medicine?”

“You’re all finished. Bruce said he could supply us with more if you need it.” Loki said, tilting his head slightly. “Are you feeling better? You look it.”

Thor nodded with a smile. “Much better.” He said, pushing himself up so his back was against the frame of the bed. “No more medicine.”

“Great.” Loki beamed in return, standing up from the bed. “Let’s eat.”

“You made all three today.” Thor said as he stood as well, following Loki into the dining room.

“Hm?” Loki glanced at him, pulling out Thor’s chair for him.

Thor took a seat. “Usually you only make one or two. Bacon and eggs. Or toast and eggs. Why three?”

Loki smiled a bit more, taking a seat next to Thor’s chair, whose was at the head of the table. “I was feeling adventurous today.” He teased, pouring Thor some tea.

Thor nodded, taking a sip of it after he let it cool.

“And we’re also going to town today.” Loki said nonchalantly, beginning to eat.

Thor set his cup back down, though his eyes widened, and he stared directly at Loki. “Town?”

Loki rose his tea to his lips, smiling into the cup. “Yes. We’re going into town.”

The surge of excitement that coursed through Thor was not halted in the least, even as he tried to compose himself. The farthest he’s gone was to Bruce’s laboratory, and that wasn’t very far. He barely got a glimpse of London’s bustling city life, and now he finally had the chance to. Loki had to convince him not to devour his food in less than thirty seconds, and after they were finished eating, Thor got himself ready, Loki helping him to pick out some simple clothes. They hadn’t exactly moved onto full dresswear yet, mainly due to the fact that Thor didn’t like so many layers, but Loki figured as winter approached, Thor would grow used to it.

Once they had everything, Loki guided Thor out of his home and outside. Per usual, the street they lived on was considerably busy, women passing by with baskets or children, and plenty of carriages bringing goods down to market places or carrying citizens. Thor was overwhelmed with joy at the sight of everyone, a couple of people casting him glances, but most passing him unnoticed. Thor would stay close to Loki, occasionally grasping his arm as they started down the block. He was particularly mesmerized by the horses, almost approaching some, but decided not to as Loki coaxed him to remain close.

Their first stop was a market. Loki was running out of food items in his home, and it was about time he picked up some more. It was hard due to the fact that they spoiled so easily.

“Thor, don’t wander off,” Loki warned calmly, for he had stepped a bit ahead to admire a fruit market which was being taken care of by a dark-skinned man with long hair. Loki managed to catch up with Thor, who had, without much thought into it, grasped one of pears, sniffed it, and took a large bite into it.

“Thor! No, we—” Loki started, but a soft laugh came from his lips. “You can’t just go around tasting everything you see. Some stuff costs money.” He explained, glancing to the vendor. “I apologize, Heimdall. Thor is… rather new to all of this.”

Heimdall only offered him a grin. “It’s fine. Brunnhilde has told me some of Thor. The ‘wild man’, hm?” He said, looking at Thor, who continued to eat the pear. Loki tried to offer him currency, but Heimdall refused. One pear wasn’t an issue, especially within the kindness of a poor market owner’s heart.

“Yes. He’s adjusting quite well, actually.” Loki said, taking his handkerchief to wipe some of the juice from Thor’s chin. “Thor, this is Heimdall. Why don’t you introduce yourself?”

Thor swallowed his food and turned to Heimdall with a wide smile. He extended his hand, as Loki had previously shown him, and Heimdall reached forward to shake it. “Thor.”

“Very nice to meet you. I’m Heimdall.” He said. “How can I help you two?”

“I’m going to take some of those pears, as well as some apples. Are the mangoes ripe yet?” Loki asked.

“They’re getting there.” Heimdall explained, starting to place them into a sack for Loki to take home. “Wait a day or so, and they will taste perfect.”

Loki paid Heimdall for the fruit, wished him a wonderful day, and continued down the street with Thor. As they walked, more carriages passed, with a street musician playing his violin joyously, singing triumphantly in hopes of earning some money. Some people passed by, tossing shillings into his instrument case or offering him something as simple as a smile. Thor admired the music, though he averted his eyes from the musician to watch the people around dancing to the music, men twirling women to the sound of the strings, some civilians simply dancing alone. Thor was confused at first as he looked at them. He had never really heard music before, not like this, and Loki seemed to take notice, smiling a little bit as he stepped up next to Thor. “They’re dancing.”

“Dancing?”

“Yes. When music plays – the sound coming from his instrument, although music can come from any instrument or voice – people like to dance to the melody of it. It’s actually quite nice.” Loki explained. “Come along. We have much to see.”

Thor’s gaze lingered upon the scene, though Loki ushered him along just slightly, and he followed him down the sidewalk, the harmony of the violin and joyful cheers drowning away as they approached a three-way intersection.

“This is The Strand and Charing Cross. Quite memorable, actually.” Loki explained, keeping Thor by his side as they walked. “This area is particularly congested.” He said. Judging by the amount of horse carriages and people, Loki didn’t have to say that for Thor to figure out. “Here we have a replica of the Cross. It’s actually a commemoration of Queen Eleanor.”

Along the area there were also vendors, spokespeople and newspaper boys, but Thor was interested in the music. He tugged Loki’s sleeve gently. “Can we go back?”

“Hm?” Loki looked at Thor.

“Go back.”

Loki rose a brow. “You want to go back home?”

Thor shook his head. “Dancing.”

Loki managed a smile. “Oh, Thor. There’s so much more to see. I promise, we can come back around and find the musician again if he’s still there. We can always come back later in the week, too. Come.” He said, not taking into account Thor’s interest in music.

Thor exhaled silently, but nodded, and followed Loki through the crowd.

;

“So, how did my boys do during Thor’s First Day In London?” Brunnhilde teased as she helped to clean up the dinner table. Loki was washing the dishes, while Brunnhilde was finishing off the table, Thor helping to adjust the tablecloth.

“It was quite excellent. Thor had a wonderful time – _And_ we got him a new suit.” Loki grinned, placing the wash basin aside to start drying everything.

Brunnhilde feigned a dramatic gasp. “Thor! A new suit? I have to see that. The next time you two venture London, I’m coming along, and you’re wearing it.” She said, raising a playful brow.

“Don’t like it.” Thor complained briefly, joining Loki in drying the dishes. “Too hot.”

“It’s going to get cold soon.” Loki said with a soft chuckle. “You’ll want to be wearing it, Thor. Trust me.” He explained.

Thor rolled his eyes teasingly. “They’re ugly.”

“Uh-huh. That doesn’t mean _you’re_ ugly.” Loki grinned, nudging his side.

Brunnhilde glanced at the both of them, smiling to herself at the connection they had. “Well, I’ll leave you two to it.” She said. “I better be off, anyway. Bruce will have a heart attack if I don’t show up on time. He’s asked him for a bit of help on a project.”

“Already off?” Loki turned towards her. “Have a good night, Brunnhilde. Don’t be a stranger.”

“Never.” She smiled, gathering her things, before she left the two of them alone.

After they cleaned up, Loki decided to hold off on a lesson for the night. It was getting considerably dark, especially after the late dinner they had, and the two of them had prepared for bed, changing into comfortable clothes. While Thor washed up, Loki rolled the sheets down on the bed, humming gently to himself.

“Loki?” Thor stepped out from the bathroom and towards the bed.

“Hm?” Loki glanced up, brushing off the duvet.

“How do you dance?”

Loki tilted his head. “Dance?”

“Yes. Do you need music?” Thor asked, taking another step closer.

Loki thought for a moment. “Well, it is ideal. I guess you don’t really need it.”

“Can you show me?”

“Huh?”

“How to dance.” Thor said, finding Loki’s eyes.

Loki chuckled softly for a moment, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. “Show you how to dance?” He asked, though when he realized Thor wasn’t kidding, his expression softened. Did it truly mean that much to Thor? “Thor, it—It’s isn’t exactly… Likely for two men to—To—”

Thor awaited his response, pupils remaining in place.

Loki exhaled. “Okay. Well, I can show you the basics.” He said. The windows were still open, with some people passing by. Down below, however, there was a pub, and faintly could drunken voices be heard singing. They seemed cheerful. “Come here.”

Thor stepped in front of him without hesitation, awaiting instructions.

“Dancing is one thing. However, when you’re dancing with someone else, I find it’s… Much easier.” Loki said. “Erh—Here.” He said, taking Thor’s left hand. “Normally, your hand would go… here.” Loki guided Thor’s fingers on his waist, bringing himself a bit closer, their proximity near gapless. Thor adjusted his hand a bit, but found home at Loki’s hips. “And your other hand… with mine.” Loki said, grasping Thor’s right hand and raising it just slightly. Loki’s other hand wrapped around Thor’s shoulders, and he breathed in a little bit. To be quite truthful, Loki’s never been this close to any man, and it felt odd in a way. In the best way possible, truth be told.

Thor beamed at him innocently. Loki smiled back.

“Okay. Now… follow my feet.” Loki said, and he started to sway just a bit. He allowed Thor to get the hang of it first, helping him with his feet. Thor stumbled a bit at first, but eventually it began to run smoothly. Thor wasn’t exactly a natural, but… Loki was. It helped Thor to learn easily.

“That’s it.” Loki grinned, the voices below falling down to a calm symphony, voices drawn out silkily but still drunkenly. Nonetheless, the muffled sounds provided more than enough serenity to their movements, and there was a sudden flush of relaxation to the atmosphere. Loki kept his eyes on Thor as they danced in their socks and pyjamas, feet gliding agreeably into the plush carpet of Loki’s floor. Thor looked right back at him, the same untroubled nature swirling within his orbs.

Loki’s lips twitched, threatening a wider smile. He leaned forward and further wrapped his arm around Thor’s neck, pressing his nose into Thor’s neck. Thor was unsure of how to react at first, and as Loki let go of Thor’s hand to bring both hands around Thor’s shoulders, Thor brought his own hand to meet the other at Loki’s waist, pulling him closer. Maybe Thor _was_ a natural.

Exhaling, Loki grinned into Thor’s collarbone, gripping digits into Thor’s long hair. There was a chill from the wind breezing into the windows, the cold cutting through their garments and grazing rising goosebumps against their skin, but it bothered them little. Loki was more comfortable, _happier_ than ever, and nothing was going to ruin this wonderful moment.

Thor’s face was burrowed in Loki’s hair, and he brought Loki closer to him. He was still trying to form the capability to understand emotion towards others, and if anything was a revelation, this was. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling, but it was something extraordinary.

They held each other until the air was freezing and the voices halted, and everyone, including the two of them, went to bed. Some may even say satisfied more than others.


	10. What Is Fair, And What Is Accepted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brunnhilde further educates Thor, and Thor takes a risk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow... Another month goes by, and I think my writing is growing worse by the minute. :)
> 
> Anyway, for all of you lovely people, I've decided to establish myself an update every TWO WEEKS to keep myself going. Sometimes, I'll update once a week, but for now, expect an update every other Saturday.
> 
> To anyone still reading this... Bless your soul. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you for your patience. I cherish it more than anything.

Mornings were always warm and pleasant – It was an early Saturday one this time, where the window was just open a crack, cold air flowing in against the heat of their flesh. At least that of which wasn’t masked by the sheets or comforter of the bed, chilling the tips of their toes that stuck out from the edge of the blanket. Loki was fast asleep, making no notion to awaken yet, while Thor was stirring just slightly, curled next to Loki, enjoying his presence as he always had. Thor had been the first to awaken as well, running the back of his finger along Loki’s forearm, which was exposed due to his sleeve rolling down in his slumber.

Loki eventually stirred himself, facing Thor as his eyelids fluttered open, and a relaxed expression appeared on his features as he found Thor’s eyes. He smiled.

It’s been a couple of weeks now, since they danced that night. It was almost natural thing – On the nights people down below were singing or passerby citizens were cheering, they’d dance. Maybe something silly, brief – And on the nights that an ember was truly growing inside of their chests, showing no sign of flickering, or going out, Loki would hum as they swayed, where sometimes Thor would trip over his own two feet and they’d laugh, yet continue to dance nonetheless. Thor had grown just as skilled as Loki, and enjoyed a dance more than his own research at this point.

Thor had also picked up quite a few more studies. He could comprehend much more, talk in full sentences most of the time, and even held conversations with people out on the street. It was becoming increasingly easier for Thor to tell his story to everyone, and word had spread quickly. Everyone was hearing about the Wild Man, the uncivilized brute who came from Africa and was now a regular, learning human being. Many people had even stopped by to offer gifts, others to say hello, and to meet this Thor they’d heard of by word of mouth. Loki wasn’t shocked at their fascination, for he recalled his own admiration for the man when first meeting him in the Congo River Basin.

“Goodmorning.” Loki said with a yawn, stretching out his legs, toes brushing past Thor’s ankle. They had become accustomed to the closeness.

Thor rested his chin in the palm of his hand, elbow propped up slightly as he gazed down at Loki. “Work today?”

Loki exhaled, and nodded. “Yes. Work today, I’m afraid.” He explained, reaching out to briefly squeeze Thor’s arm. “I can ask Brunnhilde to come over. I don’t believe she has anything to do today.”

Thor pondered. “Can I come with you?”

Loki rose a brow, smiling. “To work? You want to come?”

“Well, yes. You are studying about gorillas, aren’t you?” Thor asked. He had gradually begun to disassociate himself from them.

“I am.” Loki said with a nod, moving to sit up, running fingers through his own hair. “But today’s supposed to be a busy day. Maybe I can take you tomorrow?” He asked, looking at Thor with gentle eyes. “This way I can show you around the place.”

Thor allowed an infantile pout to cross his features, bottom lip protruding. “You’d leave me here all alone?”

Loki chuckled, shoving him lightly. “I’ve already told you Brunnhilde is going to come.” He said, pushing himself up into a sitting position.

“I like Brunnhilde. She’s very fierce. Scary, but fierce.” Thor smiled a little bit. “But I miss you.”

Loki sighed, and he pushed himself off of the bed, batting a set of playful eyelashes towards Thor. “Am I that wonderful?”

Thor’s teeth shone from behind his lips. “Conceited.”

“Hm?” Loki smiled, pretending not to hear him.

Thor moved to stand up from the mattress suddenly, whirling Loki into his arms, spinning him in a lively manner. They were dancing, again. Even if there was no music, Thor loved it – The both of them didn’t seem to mind the lack of melody. “Conceited. I saw it in the dick-tea-on-airy.”

Loki chuckled, long arms smoothing up and around Thor’s massive shoulders as they swayed. “It’s pronounced ‘dictionary’. You know, the word dictionary is in the dictionary. It helps you pronounce every syllable.”

“Mm, yes. How do you think I learned to pronounce conceited?” Thor beamed, a light hand placed on Loki’s waist.

Loki grinned as well, and slipped from Thor’s grasp, turning to head into the kitchen. “You must have spent extra time on that, hm? Do you take pride in making fun of me?” He continued to speak as he walked, Thor trailing after him.

“No, I take pride in calling you conceited. I can not make fun if it is true.” Thor leaned himself against the counter.

Loki feigned a dramatic sigh. “Are you this wild around Brunnhilde?”

“You forget I once swung from ropes.” Thor rose a brow.

“And lived in a jungle. As much as you are adjusting, Thor, never forget who you are.” Loki said, beginning to prepare breakfast for the two of them. “I certainly won’t.”

“How can I forget myself?” Thor asked, voice laced with slight confusion.

Loki smiled again. It was miniscule. “You’d be surprised.” He said, turning towards Thor, who was next to him, the small of his back pressed against the counter while Loki faced the cutting board. “Would you like to help me make breakfast?”

;

“You know, Loki should open up a third room for me. I’d pay for a living space here.” Brunnhilde said, fumbling with a small china serpent on Loki’s table by the window.

“I don’t use my bed.” Thor said, glancing up from the book he was trying to read, where he was situated on the bed.

Brunnhilde stared back at him, a brow furrowed. “I beg your pardon?”

“Why was Columbus so cruel to the natives? I don’t see why taking their land is exactly fair...” Thor babbled off to himself about the book he was reading, sitting up on the duvet, crossing his legs Indian style.

She sighed. “No, Thor—Why don’t you use your bed? Do you prefer the floor?” She asked, assuming only as much. Thor had to adjust quite a bit when coming here, and it could be expected. She placed the china figure down, and approached Loki’s bed, where Thor had now placed a small slip of paper as a bookmark between the pages and placed it aside.

Thor smiled a bit. “The floor? No. Loki and I share a bed.” He explained.

“Oh.” Brunnhilde nodding a bit, still trying to figure this out. “So, you two, are like, together?”

Thor tilted his head. “Together? Well, yes.”

Brunnhilde smiled. “Oh.”

“Except when he’s at work. Then we are apart.”

She blinked. “No—Thor, I meant together as in… with one another. You know?”

Thor squinted, puzzled. “Is that not the same thing?”

“Sometimes together means you two are a romantic couple.” She explained, taking a seat upon the bed, curving her large dress under her legs as she sat.

He nodded a bit, starting to understand. “I don’t think we are.”

“So, he’s never asked you to be his significant other? And you have never asked him?” She questioned.

“Significant other?”

“Well, yes – First, you spend time with the person romantically. See if you truly do like them, love them. If you love them, sometimes you marry them. Do you know what marriage is?”

Thor nodded. “No, then. He has not asked me.”

Brunnhilde hummed a response. “Well, marriage would be a little farfetched at this point.” She said, knowing that although Loki and Thor have spent some time together, it would be especially odd for Loki to ask Thor to marry him. Thor knew little to none about relationships.

“Brunn?”

“Yes, Thor?”

“What does love feel like?”

She grinned at this, glancing down to her lap. “Well, it’s a wonderful feeling. It’s also horrible.”

Thor narrowed his eyes in confusion.

She noted his questioning appearance. “Well, you really like the person – You enjoy being around them, doing things with them, having meals together… And it gets to a point where you’re certain you want to spend the rest of your life with them. You just know.” She exhaled. “Unfortunately, most aren’t so lucky in achieving marriage with ‘the one’.”

“Why?” He frowned.

“Arranged marriages. Parents decide that they can pick and choose who their children marry.” She explained.

“Why would they do that?”

Brunnhilde shrugged. “Most of the time to unite a kingdom, or two countries.”

“That’s… I do not like that.”

“It’s bollocks.” Brunnhidle agreed. “Some end up running away. Or seeing the ones they love in secret. If the least they can do is kiss, they’ll take it.”

“Kiss?”

“Mhm. It’s how you show your love towards someone.” Brunnhilde said, and leaned forward, planting a kiss to Thor’s cheek. “Like that. If you love someone in a romantic way, you kiss them on the lips.” She explained. “Well, you can really do anything, but…” She chuckled. “This is a bit of a heavy topic for you. I’ll explain more later.” She patted his shoulder. “Go back to reading. I’m going to make us some lunch.”

When Brunnhilde disappeared into the kitchen, Thor did not read. In fact, Thor hadn’t even opened the book. He was trying to sort out why Brunnhilde’s description of _love_ was all too familiar for Thor around Loki.

;

The door had slammed shut from downstairs, and then there were footsteps… Thor had perked up from his textbooks when Loki came in, hair whirling behind his shoulders where it was unraveled from a usual ponytail, a beaming expression on his features. “Thor?”

Loki had made his way into the room, where Thor was already sitting up on the bed. Loki’s smile widened a bit.

“Loki.” Thor greeted, grinning right back.

“Oh, I wish you would have come to work today.” Loki said, slightly out of breath – He must have been running.

“Where’s your jacket?” Thor questioned.

“Hm?” Loki looked down. “Oh— Must’ve left it at the lab. Now, where was I… Ah, yes. _The lab!_ You’re never going to believe who showed up there.”

Thor awaited a response, the anticipation gnawing at him.

“The Queen!” Loki said with a laugh, carding fingers through his hair.

Thor cocked his head.

Loki’s smile faded slightly. “You know? Her Majesty?”

“I know who the Queen is.” Thor nodded.

“Well, this is a big deal.” Loki said, plopping down onto the bed next to Thor, shrugging off his vest, leaving him in a white button up. “Thor, this can bring attention from around the globe. And it’ll all go to you. Everyone is fascinated by you, Thor, I mean – The Queen herself wants to have _dinner_ with you!”

Thor stared blankly at Loki, the term ‘Queen’ having no effect on him. “But I want to have dinner with you.”

Loki laughed. “Well, dinner with the Queen won’t be tonight, of course. Next week, we are to attend a royal dinner. We’ll be meeting ambassadors, diplomats, royal guards… Everyone’s going to be there.”

“I do not know any of those people.” Thor said, frowning.

“Well, you’ll meet them, then.” Loki said, though his smile faltered. “What’s wrong, Thor? Are you feeling ill?” He asked, suddenly concerned, and he rose his hand to press it against Thor’s forehead.

Thor shook his head, taking Loki’s wrist and pushing it away lightly. “Not ill.”

“Then what is it, Thor?” Loki asked.

Thor nibbled on his bottom lip. “Loki?”

Loki smiled again, gentler. “Yes?”

“Have you ever been in ‘together’ with someone?” Thor asked.

“In ‘together’? You mean in a romantic relationship?”

Thor nodded.

“Well, yes, a few. Why?”

“Did you love them?” Thor asked.

Loki chuckled. “Love? I don’t think so. I suppose I just liked them. I wasn’t with them for very long, anyway. Love is something that has to… It must grow, first, before anything. Sometimes you learn to love someone. Other times, you just know.”

“When do you know?” Thor asked, growing anxious, and he shifted a bit upon the mattress.

“Well, sometimes you feel it here.” Loki reached out, placing a hand on Thor’s chest, which was covered by a white shirt. It was still firm and warm beneath his fingertips. “In your heart. The decisions you make are most significantly determined here.”

Thor reached up, and placed a hand over Loki’s, looking up at him. 

Loki smiled a little more. “Why are you asking me all of this, Thor?”

 _It’s how you show your love towards someone,_ , he remembered Brunnhilde saying. Thor really didn’t know all that much about kissing, but he had seen it once, when they had stumbled across two drunkards on the street.

Thor was leaning forward now, and Loki suddenly felt warm – The flesh on his bones was itching with goosebumps, and Thor was getting closer, moving closer, closing the gap between them…

Their lips nearly touched when someone had stepped into the room, their weight shifting underneath the floorboards, causing the both of them to look over swiftly, Thor’s hand still over Loki’s – Laufey stood there, Loki’s jacket in hand, staring dumbfounded at his son and the Wild Man.


	11. The Other Side of It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter for you all - Unfortunately, I can't say that it's lovely... Or that you'll enjoy it. Erh... Have fun?

“What the _hell_ were you thinking?”

Laufey’s voice was sharp, and angered – He was furious, that was clear, and Loki had to sit there and take it. He had told Thor to go into the other room. He didn’t need to see this.

“Father—”

“A young man like you, with a high reputation? Anyone could have walked in!” Laufey shouted, and he seemed relatively disgusted at the simple notion of his son lying with another man. “If anyone was to find out about this, you’d be hung. Publicly shamed – And what would the others think of _me_ , with an even higher reputation to keep up? ‘Son of Our Scientist, Mentally Ill’, the headlines would read. No. No.” Laufey shook his head, beginning to pace the room. “I will not be judged by the queerness of my son.”

Loki kept his eyes down. There was no use in denying it, even if Thor was the one who would have initiated the kiss. His father wouldn’t believe him if he lied, anyway.

“It’s filthy. Do you understand? Unnatural.” Laufey growled as he approached his son, grabbing fistfuls of Loki’s collar, forcing the other to look him in the eye. “Sharing a bed with him? _Kissing_ him? You deserve a beating twice over for your actions, but I expect at this age _you’d know better!_ ”

Tears were flooding Loki’s eyelids. He would not let them spill. He didn’t say anything. He _couldn’t_ say anything. Loki kept a firm, direct gaze on Laufey’s pupils, trying to remain strong through all of this. This was his greatest fear sprung to life.

Laufey’s jaw was taut, and he released Loki’s shirt harshly, turning away from him. “You are going to find a wife to marry, or I will find one for you. You will bear children with this wife to confirm to the town that you are not unstable, and that are you not— _queer_.” He frowned with distaste at the term. “I assume you can do this on your own.”

Loki swallowed the ever-growing lump in his throat. “Father—”

“I am not your father.” Laufey turned to Loki with an infuriated stare. “And you are not my son.”

With that, Laufey turned and left.

Loki’s bottom lip trembled, and he parted his lips to breathe in. It was complicated, the air flowing into his lungs shifting in an unstable manner. His eyelids squeezed shut as a saline river rolled down the paleness of his cheeks, a wire twisting and coiling around his heart, suffocating it, confining it to pain. He hadn’t noticed Thor come in, the slightest of sobs causing a tremor to his body as the sound of a door slamming was evident just downstairs. Laufey had left, quite clearly disgusted.

“Loki?”

Loki’s breath hitched, and his eyelids flew open. The flesh around his eyes was already moist, a darker pigment than the rest of his face, lids red-rimmed, the cerulean of his irises intense. “Thor,” Loki whispered brokenly, unable to allow any other words to push past his suddenly dry lips.

Thor made his way over to the bed with a deep frown. “Why was your father upset?”

“I’ve told you already.” Loki glanced away, more tears spilling from his eyes, curving down the shape of his jawline once they reached it. “It’s wrong for two men to—” He choked out another sob, feeling himself gradually beginning to collapse. “To be together.”

Thor reached out, and he gripped Loki’s hand. Loki was in pain, and Thor had no idea what to do. Loki was normally very happy around him, and all due to Laufey’s presence, it seemed as if Loki’s walls had come crashing right down.

Loki brought his hand away from Thor’s. “No, Thor. We can’t.”

“But, Loki—”

“You don’t understand.” Loki laughed bitterly, trying to scrub away the moisture from his face.

“I do understand—You shouldn’t care about what your father or anyone else th—”

“We both have reputations to keep up. You know that—Know that more than anything— You are going to meet the Queen next week, for Heaven’s sake!”

“I don’t care about the Queen.” Thor frowned, searching Loki’s eyes. “I care about you.”

Loki turned his eyes away. “You shouldn’t.”

“I do.” Thor said, extending a hand again, intending to place a hand on Loki’s shoulder. “I don’t care what the Queen thinks—What your father thinks, what anyone else thinks about us—Loki, I lo—"

“It’s _wrong_ , Thor!” Loki shouted abruptly, and Thor flinched, entirely unaccustomed to Loki’s negative side. Thor withdrew his hand back to his own lap slowly. “It’s—It’s filthy, and _unnatural_ ,” Loki mimicked his father’s words with a deep frown. “We can’t—” Loki paused. It pained him to continue to speak, but it went on. “You can’t stay here anymore.” He sniffled once, trying to relax his breathing. He didn’t dare look over at Thor. “I—I am to be your tutor for the next few weeks, and that is it. Once you are educated properly, we aren’t to speak to one another anymore.” Loki said, and he pushed himself off of the bed. His fingertips trembled as he ran a couple of digits through his hair, gripping it briefly in frustration.

“You can’t mean that.” Thor said quietly. He began to feel a burning sensation at the back of his eyeballs—His vision was beginning to grow clouded, and he felt vulnerable, confused, reaching up to paw at his eyelids. Thor learned now that he was beginning to cry.

Loki turned towards him, swallowing. “Brunnhilde will find you a flat somewhere close by. This way if you need anything, you can go directly to her.”

Thor watched Loki in disbelief.

Loki seemed distraught. “I suggest you pack your bags, it’s getting late.” He mumbled, and he turned away swiftly. He didn’t want to look at Thor anymore, knowing he’d never see him, not after this, no, he wouldn’t see him as they used to be. They’d never dance again. Never have the innocent comfort of one another at night, nor would they be able to laugh about a silly joke one of them made while studying. It was gone, in the blink of an eye.

Thor remained sitting as Loki left the room.

_“What does love feel like?”_

_Brunnhilde grinned at this, glancing down to her lap. “Well, it’s a wonderful feeling. It’s also horrible.”_

Thor was confused at the time, at the term _horrible_. He understood it more than anything now.


	12. The Queen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! It's been a long time since I've decided to update this, but I do believe I want to revive it now! If any of you actually recall this fic, I stopped writing due to family issues as well as things going on with my father medically. I've ( believe it or not, after all of this time ) gotten a spur of motivation after watching Endgame, and decided it might be time to revive this book, depending on if people wish for me to continue. I know it's been a while.
> 
> This is a repost of the last chapter to kind of set things in motion again. I had to re-read a lot of the recent chapters to recall some details myself.

Brunnhilde smoothed her hand over Thor’s overcoat with a gentle expression, tucking his tie into his matching vest. “Are you ready for tonight?”

Thor’s long waves of blond hair were cast behind his ears and tied into a ponytail – Loki had left him the money for a proper suit before Thor moved in with Brunnhilde, for dinner with the Queen. The night had finally arrived, and Thor was dreading it. He wanted nothing more than to remain here with his books and spend the night independently. Thor’s been rather miserable lately. There’s an absence of a human to his bed, no one to wake up next to or dance with. Brunnhilde cooks with him sometimes, but it was always different with Loki. They’d move around the kitchen easily, knowing exactly where to step with one another, and where to find each item in the cabinets. In Brunnhilde’s kitchen, it’s different. The two times they’ve made supper together, Thor had to ask both times where everything was, and Brunnhilde had stepped on Thor’s feet twice. Thor had dropped a perfectly ripe tomato, and almost bumped a set of her favorite china cups from her hands. Nothing was familiar anymore.

“No.” Thor said truthfully, and he exhaled. Brunnhilde took Thor’s face into his hands and smiled.

“You’ll be okay, my friend.” She said, and pats Thor’s face gently. It was clean-shaven now – Brunnhilde had helped him to shave off the beard, and although he looked more presentable, what little might have been left of Thor’s life in the Congo was physically erased. He looked like an entirely different person now. She moved her hands away, and rested them behind her back with a gentle sigh. “I know this must be hard for you. I wish I had the ability to come.”

“Sneak in?” Thor asked with a hopeful smile, but it was short-lived – Most of his smiles were nowadays.

Brunn laughed softly, bringing the last loose strand of hair behind his ear as a finishing touch. “As much as I’d like to – Well, no, actually, I don’t want to.” She admitted.

Thor tilted his head in confusion.

“It pains me to see you two apart.” She said softly, placing a hand on his chest, eyes gentle. Brunnhilde was his best friend. She had always alleviated much of the stress Thor carried.

“It’s for the best.” Thor said. His chest tightened at his own words. “Loki said so himself.”

“He says that because he has to.” Brunnhilde said in return, shaking her head. “Laufey has… a tight grip on his son. Loki fears disappointing him, and now his worst fear has come true.”

Thor shook his head. “Loki feels little for me.” He said and offered a sad smile.

“I agree that Loki can be distant. But he has a kind heart. And so do you.” She said, poking the spot over where Thor’s heart lay. “With time, Thor. You must be patient.” She encouraged calmly and removed her hand. “A carriage will be here to pick you up soon. It’d be polite of you to wait outside for it to arrive.”

Thor nodded. “Okay.”

Brunnhilde flashed him a small smile. “You’ll be all right. You’ll be home soon before you know it.”

 _Home_. It was a silly term to Thor. The Congo was always supposed to be his home – Where he lived, where he thrived… But it wasn’t, not anymore. Home wasn’t Brunnhilde’s house, it wasn’t London, and it definitely wasn’t Loki’s home. Thor had only ever felt at place, truly at home, around Loki himself. Thor’s lips twitched to form a smile, but it never arrived. “I hope so.” He says, before making sure he has everything he needs, starting down the steps and out to the front of Brunnhilde’s home.

Thor wasn’t sure how long the carriage ride was, but he was alone for the trip there. He kept his stare out the window as they approached the Queen’s place, which was… massive. There was a fountain that the carriage rounded, with multiple statues surrounding it. Two sets of stairs led up to one raised area where the house sat upon, which was much bigger than Thor suspected – It wasn’t massive in height, not like the buildings in London, but it was very large in width, with two tall towers on either side. It was kept beautifully in shape, and people were arriving in carriages and entering in very nice clothing and neatly tied hair. It’s mostly men, with the occasional wife accompanying a man, but Thor assumes the females are of high status if they’re attending something as formal as this. Thor doesn’t see many out of the homes unless they’re street vendors.

He steps out of the carriage and slowly approaches the building, feeling a little lost. No one can really make out who he is in this crowd – If anything, he blends right in, and he’s a little grateful for that, too. He’s not so sure he wants all of these eyes on him, not yet. That was for dinner. He just wished he’d be able to see a familiar face right now.

And then suddenly, he wishes he didn’t. From afar, standing upon the steps is the familiar waves of raven hair, one Thor wouldn’t be able to mistaken from miles away. He’s the same as Thor remembers him, even if it wasn’t too long ago that he’s seen him – Loki’s posture is wonderfully proper, and he talks to another man with a polite smile, dressed in a suit Thor had never seen before… It’s mostly black, aside from the under-shirt he’s wearing, and Thor has this increasing need to be next to him again. He wants to greet him, and his feet are carrying him forward, moving and moving and –

He stops after a certain point, when Loki turns his body to reveal a beautiful woman standing next to him. Her hair is a blondish-brown – More dirty-blonde than anything. She’s short and she has a wonderful smile, and her hand is wrapped around Loki’s arm, and she’s laughing along to whatever joke or comment the man they had been speaking to made.

Thor feels his heart in his chest crumble slightly, and his mouth grows dry. He wants to go back home. He wants to hop right back into that carriage and tell the driver to turn around.

“Thor!”

An unfortunately familiar voice is called from behind him, and then a hand is clapped on his shoulder. Peter Quill, the very _last_ person Thor’s wanted to see.

Thor looks at him, unamused. “Quill.”

“Hey, man. Oh, it’s good to see you. Been a while, hasn’t it?” Peter grinned, looking Thor up and down, unbelieving of this drastic change.

“I think it’s been much too short, actually.” Thor grumbled.

“Woah, dude. You’re speaking in full sentences now? That’s awesome.” Peter chuckled. “What’re you standing around here for?” He grinned, and scoped the crowd, eyes lighting up as he saw Loki. “Loki!” He called, and waved both of his hands excitedly towards the man. Thor turned his face and huffed a bit, for this was the very last thing he wanted to happen.

Loki turned, and his smile faltered to the sight of Quill. He seemed a little disgusted, and he excused himself from the conversation with the man and guided his date down the steps and towards Quill and Thor.

Thor felt his body flush with anxiety and embarrassment all in one – He didn’t want to be seen around Quill, and he certainly didn’t want to be seen by Loki, not after spotting his beautiful date.

“Quill.” Loki greeted, just as disdained as Thor had been when saying hello him. He spared Thor a glance but otherwise ignored his presence.

“Oh, Loki, man, it’s real good to see you. Thor and I here were just talking about how long it’s been.” Quill beamed.

Thor scowled at him slightly. He doesn’t like the fact that Quill’s acting as if they’ve been friends for a very long time, or friends at all.

“Excuse me,” The blonde spoke up, squeezing Loki’s arm, and she smiled over at Thor. Thor glanced up at her reluctantly. “But you haven’t introduced me to your friend.” She said, glancing to Loki.

Loki glanced in Thor’s general direction, but otherwise avoided his eyes. “This Jane Foster. She works with me at the laboratory.” Loki introduced, and he breathed in a bit. “Jane… This is Thor.”

Her eyes had suddenly flown wide. “ _Thor_? Why didn’t you say something sooner?” She chuckled. She was very open, ahead of her time – Thor liked it. She reminded him of Brunnhilde. “You’ve no idea how fascinated I am with your story. You’re going to have to tell me all about it.” She encouraged.

Loki clears his throat quietly. “Yes, well… Thor’s going to be very busy tonight. The Queen will be interested in seeing him. I suspect he should go in before Her Majesty assumes he is late.” He says, and Thor could have sworn there was some form of bitterness in Loki’s words. He still isn’t looking at him. Thor’s heart wrenches again, and he’s only brought to his senses when he realizes both Jane and Quill are staring at him.

“Uh—Yes. Of course.” He said, and he reached out, gently taking Jane’s hand. Loki had taught him this one. He bent down, and pressed his lips briefly to her knuckles, glancing up at her with a smile. And then as he releases her hand and starts towards the castle, his smile disappears instantaneously, and he’s making his way up the steps, towards the entrance.

There’s fancy music playing and people are chatting and looking around, as if they’re waiting for the Wild Man to arrive – They’re expecting an uncivilized man, one who doesn’t fit in, one who looks entirely different, and here they are, unaware that the Wild Man was amongst them.

Thor’s still distraught from the hint of distaste in Loki’s tone from before. Was Loki truly disgusted by him? It seemed two weeks ago they were wrapped up in one another while Loki hummed a tune from his childhood, and Thor fell asleep under the candlelight. It seemed just _two weeks ago_ when Loki and he were dancing carelessly around their bedroom and crashing down into the duvet together with laughter and soft smiles.

Everything was different now. Thor felt undeniably cold, despite the fact he was dressed head to toe in heavy clothing.

“Excuse me, sir,” Someone placed a hand on his arm to catch his attention. Thor flinches and turns towards him – This man’s tall, almost as tall as him but not quite. Both of the sides of his head are streaked with grey hair that goes quite well with the brown, and his eyes are like half-moons, cheekbones rising high when he smiles. “My apologies – I did not mean to startle you. You seem lost. Can I help you?”

Thor blinked a couple of times, and he breathes out, reminding himself to relax. “Yes.” He said with a nod.

The other man tilted his head, expectant.

“Uh—I’m here for the Queen.” Thor explained. “I am Thor.”

The man’s lips quirk into another smile. “The Thor we’re all hearing about? It’s lucky of me to stumble across you, then. The Queen’s still getting ready, I presume, but I can show you to your spot. I believe you have a place at the table next to my associate and I. And, do forgive me—” He pauses, outstretching his hand towards him, “I’m Doctor Stephen Strange.”

Thor blinked, shaking his hand. “My name is… Thor.” He said unsurely, because he realizes he’s said it twice now.

Strange simply chuckled, and he releases Thor’s hand as he begins through the crowd, Thor following wordlessly behind.

People are chatting and drinking tall glasses of champagne and _still_ looking around, curious and excited all the same.

Thor’s a little overwhelmed at the fact that all of these people had come to see him. He was a expecting a small dinner, maybe ten to twenty people max – There’s _hundreds_ of people here that need to be fed.

“Thor,” Stephen says as he reaches their spot at the dinner table. It’s close to the head seat, where the Queen is to sit, “This is Mr. Stark, Mr. Korg, and Grandmaster En Dwi Gast.”

En Dwi chuckled, smiling smoothly, a quirk to his lips as he outstretches his hand towards Thor. “Grandmaster is fine.”

Thor shakes his hand first, turning to Mr. Korg. Korg’s tall, has a decent build, and he’s got blackish-grey hair and a tight-lipped smile. “Hey, man. Oops— Sorry, so rude of me. Hello, sir. I’m Mr. Korg. Most people just call me Korg, though, y’know, cause it’s a common thing people call me.”

“Stark.” Tony reached out after Thor shook Korg’s hand, and Tony eyed him up and down impressively. “Look at the size of you. Stephen here would love to have you between the sheets.” Tony teases. His accent’s like Quill’s. American, Loki called it. Had he come all of the way here just to see Thor?

Stephen squints at him. “Why don’t you tell us all about your new invention, _darling_?” He bites back.

Tony grumbles a bit, sinking down into his chair.

“What was that?” Stephen rose a brow.

“ _Elevating car._ ” Tony mumbles.

“Mhm.” Stephen slides into his chair. “And how far have you come?” Thor’s is still open, and so he takes a seat. The table they’re at is enormous and long, filling the entirety of the room. It’s a bunch of tables pushed together, Thor realizes, but they’re placed together very smoothly – There’s definitely enough room to fit everyone.

“Farther than my father.” Tony grins sickeningly at Stephen, glancing to Thor. He notices the empty expression in Thor’s features, scrutinizing him again. “What’s wrong? Miss your morning run?”

“Be nice.” Strange warned, and Tony rolled his eyes a little bit.

“You all right?” Tony changes his tone slightly, and Thor glances at him.

“Fine.” Thor said, but he doesn’t offer a smile of any sort. “Simply exhausted.”

“Ugh. You and me both, pal. I’d rather be back at home sitting in my bathtub.” Tony complained.

Thor smiled a little bit. For once, he feels all right. Tony understands, at least a little bit. “Or your bed.”

Tony sighed contently. “My sweet mattress. It’s calling for me.”

“A mattress is an inanimate object.” Stephen pointed out, smirking at Tony.

“So are you.” Tony brushed him off. “What’s the big deal about this dinner, anyway? It’s just _The Queen._ ” Tony says sarcastically.

Thor smiled a little bit more. He’s starting to like Tony.

“See, I think the Queen’s supposed to be really important. Don’t take my word for it—” Korg starts, glancing around at everyone, “Could be wrong, she’s probably real neat, too—But I think she’s a significant figure here in London. Again, don’t take my word for it. My mum just told me that.”

“Korg,” Tony started, placing a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Never change.”

Korg just smiled. “Aw. Thanks, man.” He blinked. “Erh—Sir. I meant Sir.” He nods, just to reassure himself.

The night went on, and as more people began to realize Thor was the star of the show, more people began to approach him. The amount of times Thor shared his story that night was a little exhausting – His feet hurt, and he was frustrated at the repetitive conversation, and he was hungry. The Queen had eventually showed up, a round woman with old eyes and a weak smile, but her conversation with him was very short lived, for dinner had eventually commenced. Thor had spoken with diplomats, ambassadors, lieutenants and generals, off-duty guards, scientists, travelers, and for the most part, he didn’t remember their names after the conversation finished. Everyone was asking him what life was like in the Congo – How he lived, how he managed to survive, how savage the gorillas might have been – and he answered all the same. He really, _really_ wanted to be back home in his bed, and he figured when dinner ended, that’d be it.

But it wasn’t. There was a dance.

People are laughing and clapping, and the music is starting – It’s no longer a conversational classical, and although they use the same instruments, it’s upbeat and it’s _supposed_ to be fun. The simple thought of dancing with anyone except Loki turns Thor’s stomach into knots.

Nonetheless, his new friends – Tony, especially, — are dragging him towards the center of the ballroom, encouraging him to dance. Stephen and Korg are following after, smiles on their faces, but if it weren’t for that, they’d seem just as uncomfortable as Thor to dance. Suddenly everyone seems to have a partner except Thor, and although someone joins hands with him, he’s not sure who it is. She has large teeth and a wide smile and she’s spinning around with him as if she’s a natural. But she’s not Loki. And then they’re twirling, and Thor is joining with someone else. He’s not sure who anyone is.

They’re changing partners again, and at this point Thor’s disinterested – He’s waiting for the dance to end so he can return to his seat, as active as he’s supposed to remain tonight.

A familiar hand slips into his own, and suddenly he’s face-to-face with a wide eyed Loki.

Loki’s the first to break away, stepping from the dance progression and forcing his own hands behind his back. “Pardon me.” He mumbled, and there goes again, avoiding Thor’s eyes.

“Loki—”

“Oh, there’s Jane. Silly girl, she’s always slipping away from me. Excuse me,” Loki gives a horribly fake smile, and he’s starting past Thor.

Thor grabs his arm to stop him, and Loki’s pupils are venomous darts on Thor. It’s the angriest – no, the most irritated he’s ever seen Loki.

Loki jerks his arm back. He keeps his eyes on Thor for another moment, before he’s practically running away from the blond, scurrying back to Jane, or to the nearest room that’s quiet.

Thor doesn’t want to be here. He wants to be away from everyone. Away from the Queen, away from the dancers and musicians, and certainly as far away as he possibly can be from Loki.

The rest of the night is quiet sulking for him, and when he returns home, Brunnhilde runs him a hot bath. He breaks down in her arms before bed, and Brunnhilde doesn’t tell a soul. She’d be there for Thor without question.


End file.
